Nothing's Real but Love
by BrookeKerington29
Summary: It is strange how a bump on the head can change your future. Wendell meets a girl - the new girl at the Jeffersonian in fact - and they quickly fall for each other. This is a story about their relationship and how it grows. Wendell/OC with a bit of Wendell/Finn friendship going on. Just some sappy romance with a bit of angst. Now M. Was Love Actually is All Around.
1. Getting Acquainted

**Disclaimer: Don't own Bones nor will I ever. Carlie I do own. **

**Try pairing Wendell with any of the female cast, aside from Angela, and it is bloody hard. I wouldn't wish Daisy on him and I'm not sure if Genny Shaw and he would work (:/). So this is where OCs are beneficial. I've used Carlie in a few stories but there was no real back story between her and Wendell, just that they were together. So this just explores their relationship but it won't all be about them. There'll be some moments with Finn, Hodgins, Sweets, Brennan, Angela and others. I had thought about writing this for a while but I had an overload of story ideas and I just got this down during two free periods at school. I had bugger all to do.**

**Ships: Wendell/Carlie.**

**The songs are from my IPod so Adele, The Beatles, Dido and Katy Perry among others will feature. I do not own the songs I just like listening to them.**

_I've just seen a face  
I can't forget the time or place where we just meet  
She's just the girl for me  
And want all the world to see we've met._

_The Beatles - I've Just Seen a Face _

_March 2012_

"Seriously, Dude, put your tongue away." Finn said to Wendell who was too busy staring at the pretty new pathology intern to even look at the remains on the autopsy table between him and Finn.

"Sorry what?" asked Wendell snapping out of his trace.

"We have a dead body to look at before Dr Brennan throws us into the machine that sliced this guy up. If you like her why don't you just talk to her? That way you'll put everyone out of their misery."

"What makes you think I like her?"

"You've spent the last two weeks staring into space or at her with your mouth wide open like this." Finn explained demonstrating the facial expression. "Seriously, just talk to her. She won't bite. Speaking of which, I'm getting lunch. Want anything?"

"No, I'm not hungry."

"Suit yourself." Finn said walking away leaving Wendell alone with the remains, which looked like it was judging him as well.

"Don't you start, I already have about four guys on my case about this." He said to the bag of bones. Picking up the instrument tray and placing it on the autopsy table, his focus went to the new girl. A little too much focus.

He was so caught up in her focusing on the file in her slender hands; he knocked the tray with his elbow causing it to crash to the floor. "Crap." He muttered bending down to retrieve the mess, in the process getting distracted again. Standing up sharply, he whacked his head on the bottom of the table."Damn it!" He yelled rubbing his head.

"Are you alright?" A woman's voice asked, having been alerted to the crash and the yelling.

"I'm fine. Just hit my head." Wendell said standing up slowly, head still throbbing, coming face to face with the woman. He realized that it was the pretty new intern that he had been crushing on for the last two weeks.

"Do you need me to look at it?" She asked.

"No, I've hit my head before and it doesn't hurt that much."

"You look dizzy. You may be concussed."

"You aren't going to let me go until you've looked at it, are you?"

"I wouldn't bet on it." She said smirking. "Do you want to sit down?"

"If I must?" he said hopping onto the opposite autopsy table.

"So what part hurts?" She asked grabbing an eye torch.

"The part above my eyes." He answered. "I'm used to concussions so it doesn't hurt that much."

"You hit your head off the bottom of autopsy tables often?" She asked shining the torch in his left eye.

"I play ice hockey." He replied as she moved onto the other eye. "You've been here two weeks and all I know is that your last name is Edwards."

"Carla. My name is Carla or Carlie with an ie." She said setting the torch down. "Follow my finger." She said holding up her index finger. "All I know about you is that your last name is Bray and that you play ice hockey."

"It's Wendell." He said following her finger with his eyes. "Your nickname is longer than your actual name."

"My mom used to spell it that way."

"Used to?" He asked before pausing. "If you don't mind me asking."

"She died when I was thirteen. My father lives in New Jersey where we moved from England when I was nine."

"I had a friend who was English. He died last year."

"You miss him?"

"I miss the random but useful facts he came out with. Are you going to stop with the fingers?"

"Sorry. You don't have concussion but I'd get an ice pack to top to stop the swelling."

"Can I just say you are really tanned for an English girl from New Jersey?

"Well, there is nothing wrong with your vision. I have just moved back from Ibiza, you know near Spain."

"With a boyfriend?"

"No. I have a son though. Will's four."

"You're 21 right?"

"I get asked that a lot. Yeah I was seventeen. First boyfriend."

"I'm being really nosy but what happened to his dad?"

"Iraq happened."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to -"

"It's fine. You get used to people asking you questions like that when you are a single mom. Do you have a girlfriend or boyfriend?"

"No, I do not have a girlfriend." said Wendell smiling at her question.

"Too busy looking at Playboy magazine for that." Finn said under his breath when he walked back onto the platform with a chicken mayo sandwich. "So what have we been talking about?" he asked winking at Wendell.

"Nothing that concerns you." Wendell said.

"Well, it was fun getting acquainted with you Wendell Bray." Carlie said starting to walk away but turned back towards the injured intern. "Remember the ice pack." she walked away.

"Will do, Carla 'Carlie with an ie' Edwards." he called after her with a daft smile on his face.

"Told you she wouldn't bite." Finn said.

**Interesting? Yes, no? **


	2. Salt, Tequila, Lime

**Tequila. All I have to say. Tiny bit of smut, not really graphic.**

_Do you still pick up the seashells on that pebble beach?  
Remember when that crab came up and pinched your feet?  
When that old guy gave us all those drinks for free?  
Do you still get knocked down by that Bacardi breeze?_

_Olly Murs - Thinking About Me_

_April 2012_

A body had been found not far out of Las Vegas and Dr Temperance Brennan had requested Wendell's assistance to accompany her, Booth, Cam, Hodgins and Sweets. Though he did question Sweets' involvement (to which Brennan replied she had no idea), he didn't hesitate.

He hadn't spoken with Carlie since she checked his head three weeks before, so he got a surprise when he discovered who he was sitting next to on the flight.

"Hey." He said placing his bag in the overhead locker.

"Hi." Carlie said smiling, slightly relieved that she didn't have to sit next to someone she didn't know. "How's the head?"

"Better thanks." He said sitting in the seat next to her. "You?"

"Fine thanks. Been busy but fine."

"How's your son?"

"Will is fine. My brother lives in D.C. so he's looking after him while we're in Vegas. I've been busy trying to find a school for him to go to in September. Any recommendations?"

"No." He replied. "I'm as helpful with recommendations as I am understanding Dr Brennan."

"I take that as not very good at it."

"Trust me, first case I helped on, Dr B asked me if I have ever considered sleeping with a woman twenty years older than myself. I took it completely the wrong way Turned out it was because they guy who was killed had a relationship with a woman twenty years older than him."

"You thought she wanted to sleep with you?"

"I was young and a little naïve. Plus the way she looked at me wasn't helping my thoughts."

"Did you sleep with her?"

"No." He scoffed. "I think Booth would shoot me between the eyes if I did."

"Booth is the hot FBI guy right she's dating right?"

"Yeah. I would talk to you about them, but we'd be here until 2019. All you need to know is that they are together and I don't see them ending for a very long time."

"Understood." She said. "We have a four-hour flight. What do you want to do?"

"Do you want to see the in flight movie?"

"Depends on what it is."

bxbxbxbxbxb

Once the flight was over and everyone had been briefed on the case, they were split into groups, with Wendell being placed with Carlie and Hodgins.

What should have been a simple examination turned into a minor flirting session between the two interns. Something which failed to go unnoticed by Hodgins.

Once she had left the area where the boy was being examined, Hodgins cornered his friend "Could you have made it any more obvious?" He asked folding his arms.

"Could have made what more obvious?" asked the confused intern.

"The flirting and the eye sex."

"What are you on about Hodgins?"

"You were taking her clothes off with your eyes. And she was doing the same."

"I don't think so."

"Really? So this doesn't consist as eye sex?" Hodgins asked looking at Wendell with his eyes glazed over and with a smirk on his face.

"I wasn't looking at her like that." Wendell denied returning to the remains.

"Yeah, and I'm an Egyptian belly dancer named Melinda." Hodgins muttered sarcastically.

bxbxbxbxbxb

Tequila: the one thing Carlie admitted to on the plane to Vegas that she couldn't taste without burning her tongue. So Wendell decided to help her out by teaching her how to drink tequila like a pro. He found the salt and she brought the tequila and the limes to his hotel room.

"So you put the salt on the palm of your hand, lick it up, take the shot and suck on the lime." he explained while demonstrating.

"Salt, hand, lick, shot and lime. Got it. she said tapping the salt on her palm.

"Ready?" He asked also putting salt on his palm.

"Yeah." She said.

"Go." They did the trick and took the shot but it didn't stop the grimace on the young woman's face. "It takes a few to get used to it." He said laughing slightly at her reaction.

"Next one." She said grabbing the salt.

After four or five or possibly eight shots, they were well and truly buzzed.

"You don't take tequila well do you?" Wendell asked sitting on the right side of the bed with his back against the pillow with Carlie on the other side.

"Neither do you by the look of it Mr Bray." She said laughing and slurring.

"This wasn't a good idea was it?"

"It was…interesting. God I am bladdered." She said turning on her side facing Wendell. He did the same and took a good look at her. She was one of the more attractive women he knew. She had thick wavy strawberry blonde hair, bright green eyes and, since her tan had faded, quite pale skin similar to his. He lips had been covered in red lipstick; her dress was black and had flowers on. She was smaller in terms of height compared to some of the other girls he had dated, including Angela.

"What are you thinking about?" She whispered.

"Nothing." He replied. He bit his lip slightly while she licked her lips.

"I'd better go, Sweets will be back soon." She said softly but not actually moving.

"He'll be gone all night."

"Do you want me to stay?" He gulped and she placed her hand on his forearm. Without thinking, Wendell placed a small kiss on her lips.

"Sorry." He said pulling away.

"No, it was fine. It was kind of nice." She said smiling slightly. She knew it was the tequila but she sort of wanted him to kiss her again. "Wendell." She said, her eyes pleading.

He kissed her again, only firmer this time and she responded. The kiss became deeper and Wendell rolled her onto her back. He let go for oxygen and placed his lips on her neck. Lifting his head his eyes met hers, mainly to see if he could go any further. She nodded and he kissed her again and their tongues danced together. Her fingers went to his shirt and tugged it pulling it over his head. His fingers went to the buttons on her dress, unfastening them and slid the arms off her shoulders leaving it around her waist.

"My God." Wendell said when he saw her body.

"What?" Carlie asked.

"You're beautiful." He whispered before kissing her again. "And that is an understatement." He went back to her neck keeping his lips on a particular spot which made her gasp. Wendell's mouth continued to explore the pale column of Carlie's neck before laying kisses on her collarbone.

She shifted slightly to remove the dress from underneath her and threw it on the floor. He rolled over onto his back, taking her with him. Wendell attempted to try and unfasten the bra she was wearing but couldn't find the clasp. Taking pity, she sat up and removed the undergarment by using the clasp at the front.

Wendell gulped at the sight of her breasts, now actually in front of him. Perked and round with a soft pink peak. They were better than he imagined and he had imagined them a lot.

"I'm starting to think that you are more interested with my breasts than having sex with me." Carlie said raising one eyebrow.

"Sorry, it's just that they are magnificent." He said kissing the valley between them and then light pecks on her nipples. She moaned slightly before pulling him up for another kiss.

Rolling her back over, he lay on top of her as he worked his kisses lower down. He had removed the panties, which he admitted she looked hot in, they were just in the way of what he wanted.

Carlie knew this would be another guy who attempted to lick her out just so she would get some pleasure. However once Wendell's tongue made contact, she actually surprised herself with how loud she moaned. And again and again and again.

bxbxbxbxbxb

_The Next Morning_

"You alright there Sweets?" Wendell asked when he woke up to find Sweets looking at him with his arms folded.

"Really? The new intern?" Sweets asked nodding his head over to the sleeping woman on Wendell's chest.

"It wasn't like I planned it." Wendell said.

"Look, Cam is asking for you so I suggest you get your ass into gear and get dressed. Also, I'd wash the lipstick off your face." Sweets said walking out of the room.

Wendell looked at Carlie and smiled before kissing her head. He rolled her off him onto the pillow and searched around for his boxers.

Getting dressed he kept looking at her. Her hair was tousled, her lips were kiss swollen and there was a distinctive love bite on her neck. Some images of the previous night flashed in his mind: the tequila drinking, him kissing her, her kissing him and then shuddering as they came. She looked quite innocent in her sleep and it made his heart melt.

Carlie's eyes fluttered open, groaning and holding her head.

"Morning." He said smiling slightly.

"Hey." She replied sitting up pulling the sheet up with her. "So," She started, "we had sex."

"Do you regret it?"

"No, but is this going to make it awkward between us?"

"Depends."

"On what?"

"Whether this is just a one night thing?"

"I don't know. A part of it was a result of the alcohol; another part was because we wanted to."

"I don't want to make it awkward."

"Neither do I."

"So what I'm going to ask you is do you want to go on a date?"

"Like dinner or movie date?"

"Like that." He said sitting on the bed.

"I'd like that." She smiled before cupping the back of his neck planting a soft kiss on his lips.


	3. Pizza, Hockey, Baseball, Egyptian Rooms

_What a wicked game to play, to make me feel this way.  
What a wicked thing to do, to let me dream of you.  
What a wicked thing to say, you never felt this way.  
What a wicked thing to do, to make me dream of you_

_Chris Isaac - Wicked Game_

_Late April 2012_

They had arranged a date. But according to Cam, justice came first while love came second. Wendell had to point out that she had done the same on Valentine's Day a couple of years before; she said it was the exception considering it is a day of love. He didn't mention who his date was since he was afraid Cam would freak out if she found out that it was her intern he was going on a date with.

Both Wendell and Carlie were _required _to discover the cause of death on a victim. Issue: it would take all night since the guy had been messed up badly. They did at least order a pizza so they wouldn't starve.

"It is a good thing I arranged a baby sitter for tonight." Carlie said leaning over the autopsy table. Wendell wasn't really listening. He was a little busy focusing on her breasts and remembering what they looked like. Since Vegas he had images of that night and honestly, he hadn't thought of much else. "Wendell?"

"Sorry what?" He asked looking at her eyes.

"Some of the ribs have punctured a lung. So he was hit with something hard." She said. "Is someone going to tell me why there is a shopping trolley in here?" she asked nodding over Wendell's shoulder.

"Yeah, Fisher and Clark got drunk last night and they wheeled each other in that this morning."

"That I can understand. So what do you think could have killed him?"

"Um, possibly a baseball bat or a hockey stick. There is a way we can check this." he said with a mischievous smile on his face.

"Does it involve hitting me in the lungs with a baseball bat?"

"No. Hold on a minute." He said walking away and returning with a mannequin. "Carlie, meet Sheila."

"Was she made in Australia?"

"No, I have an Aunt Shelia and this thing reminded me of her." He said.

"And the plan was?"

"To hit this with a baseball bat and a hockey stick."

"Ok, so I estimate the force to be about 34 Newton. Give it all you got." She said standing back.

Wendell hit the mannequin with the baseball bat but it didn't do much damage. The hockey stick was next and that didn't do much damage either.

"I thought hockey players had to be strong." She said laughing at his slightly pitiful attempt.

"I've been slacking recently."

"I don't know, from what I remember, your physique is very fetching." She said with a flirtatious smile.

"Do you fancy a go?" He asked offering her the baseball bat.

"I won't refuse that offer." She said walking over and taking the bat from him. She hit the mannequin and Wendell looked at her effort.

"28. Not bad." He said.

"Hockey stick please." She asked.

"Do you know how to hit something with a hockey stick?"

"You are asking the rich girl from England if she can hit with a hockey stick?"

"Do you want me to show you how?" He asked coming from behind her.

"Wendell, I doubt the killer had the _proper _technique to hit someone with."

"Ok. Knock yourself out."

She hit the mannequin again and checked, "32. How does it feel to lose to a girl?"

"Ok, you win. Doesn't mean you are stronger than I am." He said.

"Um, it sort of does."

"Doesn't."

"Busted your balls huh?"

"My testicles are intact actually."

"How about we have a race using the trolley? One of us gets in and the other has to push it. It'll be timed."

"Ok." he said.

"Do you want to go first or shall I?"

"I don't mind pushing."

"What are you up to?"

"Just this." He said grabbing her around the waist and lifted her over his shoulder causing her to squeal.

"Wendell! What are you doing?" She asked.

"Putting you in the cart." He said. "I thought you could do with some help." he placed her in the cart. She pulled her phone out and set it on stopwatch. "Where to Ms?"

"The door. Ready, set go." She said started her watch and Wendell pushed as fast as he could towards the lab doors. Once he had finished, Carlie stopped her watch. "23 seconds. Not bad."

"Do you want your turn?"

"You know what, 23 seconds is very hard to beat."

"Glad to see my reputation is intact." He said lifting her out of the cart. Carlie had her arms around his neck put didn't let go when her feet hit the ground. Biting her lip, she pressed her lips against Wendell's and he responded.

"Is there somewhere we can go?" She asked gently.

"I managed to get a key to a room. It has a bed in. And I think I can disable the cameras." He took her hand and led her to the Egyptian room.

"How much stuff is in this room?" Carlie asked as they navigated through the room eventually getting to the Cleopatra bed. "Ok, nice bed."

"Hold on, I need to disable the cameras, unless you want to record this." Wendell said quickly walking up the the nearest camera and managed to disable it along with the others. When he turned around he saw her stripped of her lab coat, skirt and shirt, revealing a very sinful looking black underwear set.

"Ok, I might have had a plan to seduce you anyway." She said with a mischievous smirk.

"Plan worked." Wendell said gulping and she approached him, her heels clicking on the floor.

"Trust me Wendell Bray, when I am done with you, you'll be begging for more." she said placing a small kiss on his lips before unbuttoning his lab coat and shirt. Removing the items, she went for his belt buckle and unzipped his pants.

"Oh my God, touch me please." He said and she placed a soft kiss on his neck before moving lower, getting on her knees. Lowering his pants, she moved into the slit of his boxers and revealed his erection.

"Just one question, how do you like it?" she asked innocently.

"Wet and slow." He answered.

"As you wish." She said before wrapping her lips around the head and fisted him at the base.

"Oh my… You don't have to do that." He said but he wished she wouldn't stop but he didn't want her to do it for the sake of doing it.

"I know, I'm just experimenting."

bxbxbxbxbxb

Somewhere between a low grunt, moan and a gasp, Carlie rolled off Wendell, both gasping for air after the love-making they had done. Wendell had to admit, Carlie Edwards was different to the other women he had slept with or even had a relationship with. There was a connection between them.

"Oh wow." He whispered looking at the ceiling. Hodgins was right: the bed does put people in the right mood. Turning his head towards her, he saw her chest rising, her hair was slightly tossed and her skin glowed. Leaning over her, he cupped her cheek and kissed her tenderly.

"I take it you enjoyed that." She said pulling the sheet up to cover her breasts.

"Very much. You seem really experienced." He said laying his head on the pillow.

"Have you had many women?" She asked laying her head on the pillow next to him.

"Would you consider eight to be many?"

"Eight?"

"I dated two girls in high school, and in the last four years, I have slept with six women. How about you?"

"Including you, five. Will's father in high school, two in college and I had a boyfriend in Ibiza."

"That is normal for a 22-year-old. So, we've done it twice and this was kind of a date. Where are we in terms of this relationship?"

"Whoa relationship?" She said sitting up.

"Ok, not relationship. Just where are we?"

"I don't think we're at dating status yet. I mean one date is a make or break thing isn't it?"

"I suppose."

"It'll take three or four dates to make my mind up, but you seem to be a decent enough bloke."

"I seem to be?"

"I don't trust men easily. I'm adopted so I don't know who my biological father is, my adopted dad is rather controlling, which is the reason I financially cut myself off from him as soon as I found out I was pregnant, I don't get on with my eldest brother because he is a lying git and the last guy I dated, I caught with my friend in my bed so as you can see, my relationships with men suck. The only man I trust in my life is my son."

"You're adopted?"

"Among a family of Hispanics I'm the only Caucasian. It couldn't have been more obvious. My family consists of my dad who is a cardio surgeon, my two older brothers - Jay's in the army and AJ is a cop - and my sister is a law student. We're extremely dysfunctional."

"What did your mom die of?"

"MS. So your family?"

"My mom who spends more time in church than the priest thanking God I managed to get a scholarship, my brother, Max, is is college which is even more miraculous and my sister, Lucy, who is in senior year in high school."

"How is your brother getting into college miraculous?"

"When I told this to Hodgins, he thought it was because of a scholarship. We didn't think he'd graduate high school, let alone get into college."

"What about your dad?"

"He died of lung cancer when I was sixteen. Smoked a lot."

"Bet it was pretty close-knit in your house."

"It was a little."

"Sounds nice."

"It is."

"I wish I had that." She said yawning a little.

"Tired?"

"No." She insisted, though her eyes were closing.

"You are." He said moving closer and stroked her cheek.

"Fine, can I lie on your chest?" She asked.

"Sure." He said and she lay her head there and he stroked her back trying to sooth her into a peaceful sleep. "It was definitely the hockey stick that killed him right?"

"Yes Wendell, it was." She murmured. "We did finish that pizza right?"

"I knew we forgot something." He said grabbing the nearest article of clothing he could find. "You like cold pizza right?"

"Yeah." She smiled sleepily. "We could just leave it until morning. We'll need that as breakfast."


	4. Thirty-Year-Old in a Four-Year-Old Body

_This was never the way I planned, not my intention.  
I got so brave, drink in hand, lost my discretion.  
It's not what I'm used to, just wanna try you on.  
I'm curious for you; caught my attention._

_Katy Perry - I Kissed a Girl_

_June 2012_

People were beginning to notice that something was up between Wendell and Carlie. Sweets (because of Vegas) and Finn were the only people who knew of their 'relationship'. When Hodgins had named a bug with a very long name, Wendell commented that it was a mouthful. The result caused Carlie to snicker.

"I was thinking of a joke that a friend of mine told me." She explained to the entomologist though the behaviour of the two interns was questionable to Hodgins.

During a hockey practice, Booth noticed marks on his friend's neck, shoulder and back - nail marks. He asked Wendell where they came from.

"My mom's cat hates me." The younger man explained but Booth knew his hockey buddy's tells. While saying it, Wendell scratched the side of his nose.

For the last two months, they had been sneaking around: lunchtimes at his and Finn's apartment, the hotel nearby and the Egyptian room. The sex was addictive. Sometimes they'd end up in the storage room, not even fully undressed. Wendell put it down to simple biological urges but there was something between them. He tried his best to ignore it. He couldn't be falling for her. They barely knew each other.

Angela Montenegro, on the other hand, saw different. She knew Wendell, professionally, personally and intimately. She also got on well with Carlie and was starting to pick up some habits she had. During a conversation with Wendell, Carlie walked past and smiled at him. He did the same and it wasn't a, 'hello' smile. It was, 'I've seen you naked and would very much like to again' smile. He also had a different look about him. He looked happier than he had done for a while.

Mr Finn Abernathy only knew because he came back to the apartment one lunch time and caught them on the couch semi-naked and kissing each other. After an awkward discussion, Finn promised to keep his mouth shut in his own Southern boy way (and causing confusion between the couple).

Aside from sex, they did do stuff that pushed them into dating status. He took her to see the Avengers movie, they had lunch in the diner, they talked and she took him to a bar. And they had fun.

One Saturday afternoon, by pure chance, Wendell ran into Carlie in the diner. Accompanied by a small boy around four. He waved at her from the counter and she indicated for him to come over. Thought uncertain, he did and took a seat next to Carlie.

"So, Wendell, this Will: my son. Will, this is Wendell: a friend." She said introducing them to each other. She looked just as uncertain as Wendell did. He did understand why she called him 'a friend'. You wouldn't tell a four-year-old that the new guy who just pulled up a seat is fucking his mom.

"Hello." The boy said eating a fry. He was an almost spitting image of his mother. Same hair, same nose, same chin. The only differences were the eyes and the accent.

"Hi." Wendell replied.

It was an interesting discussion between the three of them. Well, just Will and Carlie. Wendell stayed quiet admiring the new side of his quasi-girlfriend. He had seen the professional side, the sexual side and the fun side. Today, he was seeing the mom side. The softer side.

"Wendell, can you watch him while I go to the bathroom?" Carlie asked.

"Sure." he said as she got out of her seat and walked towards the bathroom. It was a moment's silence between the man and the pre-schooler.

"Are you and my mom boyfriend and girlfriend?" Will asked.

"Would you mind?" Wendell also asked.

"I don't know."

"I like your mom. Would that answer your question?"

"Maybe." The child said again taking another fry. Wendell wasn't planning on having a kid anytime soon, though the arrivals of Angela and Hodgins as well as Brennan and Booth's kids were softening his attitudes to becoming a parent.

"Will, you know that I'm not trying to be your dad, right?"

"I know. That is what the last guy said."

"I suppose I'm not the first guy you have met."

"No, second. Do you do sex?" Completely the wrong moment to take a sip of coffee; Wendell coughed trying to think about what to say.

"Do you know what sex is?"

"My cousin Tiffany says it is where a boy and girl make each other happy." Wendell was laughing in his head. It was so completely innocent coming out of a small child's mouth. "So do you?"

"Um, I'm not really sure how to answer that."

"Ok. So if you are going to be my mom's boyfriend, we have to have rules."

"Rules?"

"One, if you hurt my mom, you'll have to answer to me. Two, it is alright to dislike my grandfather. Three, you have to be really good at cards to beat mom and four, if you and my mom have a baby, please make it a girl."

"One, understood. Two, dads don't like me anyway. Three, I'm not that great at cards and four, I don't think that is happening anytime soon kiddo. That said, I accept your conditions."

"Cool."

That last condition did give Wendell a thought though. Even though they were being safe by using condoms, there had been a couple of slips. The first one was when Carlie practically dragged him to the storage cupboard and he had nothing on him. The second was during a lunch break at the nearby hotel where the condom split making Wendell panic slightly.

Once lunch had finished, Wendell was specially invited to join Will and Carlie at the park. At the park, Will went into the playground while Wendell and Carlie sat on the bench keeping an eye on him.

"He's cute." Wendell said.

"I know. I don't usually introduce men to my son until after the seventh date. We've had nine. I suppose he went through the 'rules' with you."

"It's alright, I accepted his conditions."

"I swear I gave birth to a thirty-year-old lawyer rather than a little boy."

"The last one he said something about having a sister."

"He's been asking me for a little sister since he was two. I'm not ready to have another baby yet. Hence why I am on the pill just in case."

"I'm not really ready to become a dad myself. A couple of years ago, the woman I was with had a pregnancy scare and I knew I wasn't ready. It was a mutual break up and we're still friends."

"Was it Angela?"

"Jesus, are you Sherlock Holmes or something?"

"Angela told me. She thinks there is something going on between us so she dragged me into her office and told me that you were one of the best guys she dated and if I hurt you I was going to end up on the autopsy table."

"And you are not jealous?"

"Why would I be jealous? She's married and has a very adorable baby. Do you think I'd be worried about her trying to get you back?"

"You're right. She's happy. Do you think there is something between us?"

"Yeah, a four-year-old." She said nodding to the boy who had just ran up to them. "Ready to go home Honey?"

"Is your boyfriend coming with us?"

"If he wants." She said looking at Wendell.

"I don't mind, I have nothing better to do." Wendell answered as they got up and grabbed either side of the boy's hand. "So, I'm your boyfriend now." He said when they were walking down a path.

"It seems so." She said.

"Does this mean I get to hold your hand at work?"

"Don't push your luck." She said jokily.


	5. Feeling the Moment

_Why do you smile like you have told a secret?  
Now you're telling lies cause you're the one to keep it.  
But no one keeps a secret, no one keeps a secret.  
Why when we do our darkest deed do we tell?  
They burn in our brains become a living hell.  
Cause everyone tells, everyone tells…_

_The Pierces - Secret _

_July 2012_

Cam's wedding was due to occur in the Bahamas. As in another long flight, which wasn't so bad considering that Will had decided to watch Avatar on the flight and a game of 'I have never ' broke out between Carlie and Wendell. With some very surprising results.

Hope Town was a rather nice place to stay. It was cosy and it had a pool so a certain little boy was happy. Since there was only three people (Booth had spotted them in Founding Fathers engaging in an intimate kiss) and a four-year-old, they were placed in separate rooms. That didn't stop them from christening the sheets in style.

"So how long so we have to keep us a secret?" Carlie asked while they were relaxing in her hotel bed covered by the white sheets.

"Are you ready to tell the world?"

"I think so."

"We should wait to do it until after the wedding; that way we don't steal Cam's thunder."

"Maybe you are right." She said leaning over to kiss him.

"Can I tell Hodgins though? I promised him that as soon as I met a girl, I would tell him."

"Ok. I don't generally like big announcements so maybe we should tell everyone individually." She said kissing him again.

"Let's do it your way then." He said responding to the kiss.

"You mean telling everyone or…" She said smirking.

"Both." He said pulling her on top of him, lips attached. The door was knocking rampantly but they ignored it for the first few knocks. "Leave it."

"They're getting impatient." She said dismounting him and pulling on his shirt buttoning up the bottom five buttons, shaking her hair out of the collar. "I'll be back in a minute." She said pecking his lips. She walked to the door and upon opening it she found Hodgins panicking.

"Carlie, have you seen the rings?" Hodgins asked.

"How have you managed to lose the rings?" Carlie asked, holding the door trying to cover the lower part of her body.

"I had them by the pool earlier and then they went missing. That shirt you're wearing looks familiar."

"I may have worn it before. Anyway, Hodgins, all I can say is look by the pool again. I'm a little busy at the moment."

"I'm sure that is Wendell's shirt. There should be a blue mark under the collar."

"Um…" She knew that they were going to get busted. "Wendell needs to speak to you actually. Why don't you go and find him?"

"Or maybe you should open the door so he could talk to me now?" Rolling her eyes, Carlie pulled the door open, letting the man in. He walked into the room and found his friend in the midst of getting dressed. "I knew it."

"How could you have known it?" Wendell said pulling on his undershirt.

"Easy, the looks, the sneaking around, the private jokes. You two should have had a sign saying that you two were sleeping together."

"We're not just sleeping together, Hodgins." Carlie said leaning against the nearest wall having buttoned up the rest of Wendell's shirt. "We're dating."

"Dude." Hodgins said in astonishment to Wendell. "How long?"

"About three months." Wendell said.

"Three?" Hodgins asked turning towards the woman who nodded. "Wow, what can I say? Congratulations. Imma just going to go and leave you to do whatever it is you do. Just be careful if you know what I mean." Hodgins walked out the room.

"Well, that was awkward." Carlie said starting to laugh a little. "I don't think him finding us half naked in hotel room was how you wanted to tell him huh?"

"You think?"

"I didn't think so. You're like his little brother or something. It's kind of cute. We should go and help him find the rings. He isn't even the best man, how did he lose the rings?"

"It's Hodgins. If there is a wedding, something is guaranteed to get lost."

bxbxbxbxbxb

_The Next Evening_

The wedding had gone as smooth as it could go. Thankfully, Angela had the rings the whole time so Hodgins' neck was in the clear.

They were keeping a distance away because they knew they wouldn't be able to keep their hands off each other. Especially since Carlie was wearing a knee-length purple dress and the one thing Wendell wanted to do was take her to her hotel room and make love to her all night.

_Feeling the moment slip away  
Losing direction, you're losing faith  
You're wishing for someone…_

Hearing the lyrics, Wendell decided to take the risk and asked Carlie to dance with him. Which she casually accepted.

_How do you feel when there's no sun?  
And how will you be when rain clouds come and pull you down again?  
How will you feel when there's no one?  
Am I just like you?_

It looked like a friendly offer at first, but those thoughts went out of window when they spotted Wendell's hand on her lower back and the closeness between them. He got thumbs up from quite a few of his friends and a few smiles of approval. Including Brennan and Cam.

"I take it that was our announcement." Carlie said looking around.

"No I just wanted to dance with you." Wendell said smiling at her.

_Don't ever feel that you're alone  
I'll never let you down, I'll never leave you dry  
Don't fall apart, don't let it go  
Carry the notion, carry the notion back to me, to me..._

**This may all be sappy at the minute but it won't all be sunshine and lollipops.**

**Second song was Feeder: Feeling the moment. **


	6. Dads and Flu

_Papa I know you're going to be upset,  
'Cause I was always your little girl.  
But you should know by now,  
I'm not a baby._

_Madonna - Papa Don't Preach_

_Late September 2012_

A flu bug had occurred in the Jeffersonian, starting with the day care centre consequently spreading to Booth then Hodgins and finally Carlie. Wendell had been out-of-town to see his mother so escaped the epidemic When he returned and went to Carlie's place he was greeted by his blotchy nosed and cough ridden girlfriend.

"Hi." She croaked. "I know. I look disgusting."

"You don't look that bad." Wendell said smiling at her. Her hair was in a messy bun and she was clad in white Pyjama pants and a pink t-shirt and a lilac dressing gown. "You look kind of cute if I'm honest."

"Now you're just trying to make me feel better." She said though she gave him a half-smile. "Do you want to come in?"

"Yeah." She let him in and closed the door behind him.

"How was your trip?" She asked grabbing her cup filled with tea.

"It was fine. I missed you."

"I missed you too. I would kiss you but I don't want to pass this on." She said blowing her nose with a tissue.

"How's Will?"

"He's fine. He hasn't got the bug. He seems to have settled into school quite well. Better than I did."

"Has anyone actually looked after you?"

"I'm too busy looking after everyone else if I'm honest. I'm fine. Flu doesn't bother me. I'm quite tough. I managed to do an entire test while in early labor."

"Do you want me to look after you?"

"Nah, but you can stay with me." She said softly sitting on the couch. He sat next to her and she lay her head on his lap.

"So what's new with you?" Wendell asked twirling some of her hair.

"Well, my dad's coming to visit later this week."

"Oh so I get to meet him?"

"I don't know. When I said I was going to do my internship here, I promised I wouldn't get distracted by anything. Men included."

"So that is a no."

"No, no, no. Of course not." She said quickly. "You can, I just wouldn't expect to be welcomed with open arms."

"I don't expect that anyway."

bxbxbxbxbxb

The flu had become progressively worse over the week to the point where Carlie couldn't get out of bed due to a migraine and she finally admitted she needed looking after. Wendell bought her cough syrup, tissues and tea. He also looked after Will, making sure he got to school on time and did his homework, cooked and kept the place clean.

On the Friday evening, the boys were playing the games console when the door rang. Placing the controller down, Wendell went to the front door opening it and found a man, older than Wendell was and part Hispanic from what Wendell could see.

"Hi." said Wendell.

"Have I got the right apartment?" The man asked in a similar accent to Carlie.

"You must be Carlie's dad."

'W_hen she said she was adopted she wasn't kidding. Carls looks nothing like him.' _Wendell thought.

"You know my daughter? Carla Edwards?"

"Yeah, I know Carla. She's inside the apartment if you want to see her."

"Who are you by the way?"

"Hey." Carlie said walking up behind Wendell in a dressing gown and messy bun. "Oh God, Dad, I forgot to call you. I'm really sick and forgot that you were visiting."

"How sick are you?" asked Doctor Edwards.

"I'm going to put this bluntly: so sick I feel as though I have been hit by two trucks on after the other." she answered. "I'm sorry Dad. I really should have called."

"its fine, Carla. Who's this guy?" asked her father nodding to Wendell.

"Do you want to come in first before I explain?" She asked.

"Sure." The man walked into the living room where he was greeted by his five-year-old grandson. "Hey Will, you've gotten bigger since I saw you last."

"Hi Grandpa. Guess what, Mom has a new boyfriend." The boy said.

"Oh no." Carlie said between her teeth.

"Boyfriend?" Her father asked looking at his daughter and Wendell, who gulped.

"Dad, this is Wendell Bray. Wendell this is my father, Dr Antonio Edwards. Dad, Wendell and I are dating." She explained, her voice high from the soreness of her throat.

"Should I go?" Wendell asked looking worried.

"You don't have to." His girlfriend said.

"Carla, I thought you weren't going to get distracted now you were working." said Dr Edwards.

"I know, but I really like Wendell. Plus he isn't a massive distraction." Carlie said.

"Sir, I can assure you that I am not distracting Carlie. She is the most focused woman I know." Wendell said.

"Dad, I'm a grown woman who can make her own decisions. I know what I'm doing."

"Ok, honey, I know that you are unwell and this isn't fair on you. I'm in town for a bit so call me when you are better so we can talk about this." her father said ruffling Will's hair and kissing Carlie's forehead before leaving.

"Well wasn't awkward at all." Wendell said when he heard the door shut.

"Oh my God. I am so sorry. I genuinely forgot." Carlie said.

"Hey no problem."

"Am I in trouble?" Will asked sensing the tense atmosphere in the room.

"No, but I may be." Carlie said.

bxbxbxbxbxb

_One Week Later - October 2012_

Miraculously, the flu disappeared and Carlie had called her father and asked him to meet her in the diner, without the presence of Wendell.

"So, how long have you and Randall been dating?" Dr Edwards asked sipping his coffee.

"About five, six months." answered Carlie "It's Wendell by the way."

"So around the time you started working at the Jeffersonian. What does he do?"

"He's an intern at the Jeffersonian, though he is an anthropology intern as opposed to pathology."

"Would he be able to support you?"

"Maybe, as soon as he has paid off his debts."

"Debts? He owes money?"

"Yeah, student loans. As do I. He isn't involved in anything illegal."

"You know I can still pay for those loans."

"You know I have cut you off financially. Like I said last week, I'm a big girl. I made a mistake and I now have to face the consequence. Not that Will is a mistake. It was the age thing."

"I still expected more from you. You were the smart one."

"Um I think Rachel is rather intelligent."

"You know not to talk about your sister in front of me. So, where did... Wendell grow up or has he not told you?"

"He grew up not far out-of-town. Not a very financially wealthy area but decent. Sort of."

"Sort of?"

"Let's not talk about that. Look, I know that you expected me to be with someone who is a lot wealthier, but I really like this guy. He's sweet, he is fantastic with Will and very intelligent."

bxbxbxbxbxb

At the lab, Wendell was looking over some remains when Carlie came in.

"Hey, how did it go?" He asked.

"Well it is safe to say he doesn't like you." Carlie answered bluntly. "I said how great you were but he asked where you grew up and I said in a sort of decent area. Basically it is a case of you can take the man out of the town but you cannot take the town out of the man."

"What does this mean for us?"

"I told him that I'm still with you even if he doesn't like it. I don't really need his blessing. The man has caused too much trouble for me in my life."

"He seems to be a nice person."

"He said I shouldn't talk to my sister because she is a lesbian. He is a really devout catholic and as soon as she came out he said that she wasn't welcome in the house no more. He also tried to plan my life, wanting me to get married to some rich guy and having two children, suggested names Annabel and Jacob. The man doesn't even talk to my stepmother so this he really has no right to comment on my relationships."

"Ok. So not such a nice man." He placed his hand on her slender hip before wrapping his arms around her in a hug. "Are you alright now?"

"I'm fine, Wendell, honestly." She said. "Hold on. I just said that he doesn't like you. And you just said nothing."

"There has to be somebody on this planet who hates me." said Wendell chuckling.


	7. French Kiss and Surprises

_Well I was walking down the street just a-having a think__  
__When a snake of a guy gave me an evil wink_  
_He shook me up, he took me by surprise_  
_He had a pickup truck and the devil's eyes._  
_He stared at me and I felt a change_  
_Time meant nothing, never would again._  
_Let's do the Time Warp again!_

_Rocky Horror - Time Warp_

_November 2012_

The previous day was Halloween and there had been a party at the Jeffersonian. Wendell went as himself in glasses. Carlie made an effort and went as Columbia from Rocky Horror. It was the morning after the night before and they woke up with their arms around each other. Wendell had stayed the night at her place and they had spent the night talking and making love. It was still early, around 5am.

"Morning." She said quietly.

"Hey." He whispered. He pushed some of her hair out of her eyes. "Have I ever told you how gorgeous you look in the morning?"

"Really? Even with my eyes half-shut?"

"Your face just looks so fresh and bright, and your lips look so luscious I think I may have to kiss you."

"Then why don't you?" She said huskily and he did just that. He kissed her with force, his tongue slipping into her mouth and he rolled her onto her back so his muscular frame covering her smaller, slenderer frame.

"Can I ask you what you are doing for Thanksgiving?" He asked leaving kisses on her jaw line.

"Um, my family doesn't really celebrate Thanksgiving. Why?" She asked sighing at the kisses which had now reached her collarbone.

"Well, I was going to my mom's place and I was wondering if you wanted to come."

"Really?"

"Yeah, Mom has been wanting to meet the woman who she thinks has stolen my heart." He moved his lips lower towards the peaks of her breasts.

"Stolen your heart?" She asked before taking in a large inhaling breath. "What have you said about me to make her think that?"

"I don't know. That you are beautiful, funny, caring, and opinionated. Just your good qualities." he said kissing across her chest.

"Did you mention that I had a child?" She asked again biting her lip.

"Yeah. She then asked if you were older than me and I said no." Wendell's lips lowered towards her stomach. "She doesn't mind though. My mom wasn't that much older than you when she had me."

"Ok, I'll come." She giggled as his lips moved up her thigh.

"Oh trust me Carlie Edwards, you will."

bxbxbxbxbxb

Three weeks later, everyone had packed their bags into Wendell's car and they were off. It wouldn't be a long trip but half an hour into it Will had fallen asleep in the backseat. Carlie was reading a book quietly. She had been feeling strangely queasy but she put it down to nerves about meeting Wendell's family.

"What are you reading?" Wendell asked.

"Hunchback of Notre Dame. Or Notre-Dame de Paris_."_

"Is it in English?"

"No, French. Since I was brought up in a Spanish-speaking family, my Spanish is rather good and I studied French at school."

"Really?"

"Je pense que vous regardez beau dans cette veste, et si je n'ai pas eu mon fils à l'arrière de la voiture, je vous glisser en arrière et faire l'amour avec vous." She said in a French accent.

"Pardon?"

"Nothing." She said smiling. "Do you usually invite guests to your mom's house for Thanksgiving?"

"The only other guest aside from you I have invited was Vincent."

"You never explained how you and he became friends. You talk about him a lot."

"Do you want me to tell you the story?"

"Yeah."

"Are you alright, you look uncomfortable?"

"I feel a bit queasy but that may be because I'm a little nervous."

"Why would you be nervous?"

"Mothers and I do not generally mix. I've managed to piss off my fair share including Will's grandmother. She was about as pleased as a lion in a jumper when she found out about Will."

"I think Finn has passed on his strange Southern thingies. Anyway, I think you'll be fine."

"Promise?"

"Cross my heart."

bxbxbxbxbxb

Carlie looked up at the wall where there were photographs displayed and she instantly picked out a five-year-old version of Wendell on the wall.

"You always were a looker weren't you?" asked Carlie smiling brightly.

"A lot of people said that I look like my father when he was my age." said Wendell.

"I can see it." said Carlie. "I wish I knew if I look like my birth mother or father."

"Well, they made a very beautiful daughter. That gives you some indication." said Wendell giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Are you still nervous?"

"A little."

"Just be yourself." Wendell took her hand and led her into the kitchen where Wendell's mother Louise was standing over the oven. "Mom?"

"Hi sweetheart, how are you?" asked Louise giving Wendell a hug.

"I'm fine Ma. This is Carlie, who you have heard so much about from me."

"Oh, so you are the infamous girlfriend?" asked Louise.

"I guess I am." said Carlie nervously.

"Well, it is very nice to meet you. I heard you had a little boy."

"He's looking around. He's okay, he won't touch anything." said Carlie a little quickly.

"He's okay for now." said Louise. "I can see what our Wendell sees in you. You seem to be a lovely girl."

"Thank you. For both the compliment and for letting me spend Thanksgiving with your family." said Carlie stumbling over her words.

"You are very welcome."

After the initial meeting, Carlie relaxed enough so that she could communicate with the family over dinner, enough to answer some questions about herself.

"So, what is it about pathology that interested you?" asked Wendell's uncle.

"Well, I always wanted to be a surgeon like my father but I have a fear of killing someone while on the operating table. At least the person you are cutting open is already dead so that has been taken away." answered Carlie.

"So you can deal with the stench?" asked Lucy, who was Wendell's younger sister.

"The masks are good for that." said Carlie. "Anyway, less of me. Max I hear you are studying-"

"Studying is the optional word in this case." said Wendell's uncle.

"Hey, I am a student and that is what students do." said Max.

"Funny, I so not remember your brother doing stupid things."

"And here it comes." murmured Wendell.

"Well, we will not have to worry about that because I am dropping out." said Max.

Carlie looked down at her food as the simultaneous drop of cutlery on the plates of everyone else in the room.

"Don't be ridiculous Max." said Louise still a little stunned.

"I'm not Ma. We all know that I am not cut out for college." said Max.

"God damn it, Max! Get serious, for once. What are you going to do with your life?" asked their uncle. Wendell looked a little embarrassed at the argument though Carlie was equally embarrassed for bringing Max's education up.

"Why is it always what will I do? Why isn't the issue here who I am?" asked Max

"What you do defines who you are." said Lucy.

"I don't agree. Anyone else?" Everyone didn't answer due to the awkwardness of the situation. "What do you think Carlie?"

Carlie gulped as she felt awkward and embarrassed. Eventually she commented, "Well, surely it's not what you do, but the, uh... the way that you do it."

bxbxbxbxbxb

"That had to be the most interesting dinner I have had." Carlie said on the drive back. Will had fallen asleep again. "At least they tried to convince him. If I had done that my dad would have dragged me back by my ear lobes."

"So was that as bad as you thought?" asked Wendell.

"No. It was fine." She took out her phone but when she looked at the date, something in her stomach turned. "Oh no."

"What?" Wendell asked looking concerned.

"I'm late."

"Late for what?"

"As in my period is late."

"Oh."

"Yes oh."

"I thought you were on the pill and we were using condoms."

"There is a point one percent chance this could happen. I should take a test to be certain."

"There's a drug store not far from here. There is a massive chance it could be negative."

"Trust me Wendell; this is the one test I don't fail."

bxbxbxbxbxb

Back at Wendell's apartment, Will was in the living room watching cartoons while the couple were in Wendell's room waiting for the pregnancy test to come back.

"Carls, I just need you to tell you something." He said.

"What?" She asked.

"Well, if the test does come back positive then you need to know that I won't walk out on the three of you. I'm your guy."

"I don't want to be a burden on you."

"You are nowhere a burden or a responsibility." He smiled at her and the timer on her phone went off. "Ready?"

She nodded as she flipped the stick over. "Turns out I can fail this test." She sighed in relief. "Are you disappointed?"

"It's too soon for one." He smiled before kissing her softly. "One day maybe."


	8. Where Did I go Wrong?

**You may or may not hate me after this chapter. This is really angsty. Hence the song How to Save a Life by the Fray. I'm fast forwarding a little.**

_July 2013_

_Step one you say we need to talk  
He walks you say sit down it's just a talk  
He smiles politely back at you  
You stare politely right on through  
Some sort of window to your right  
As he goes left and you stay right  
Between the lines of fear and blame  
And you begin to wonder why you came_

Things hadn't been great for a couple of weeks. A serial killer had kidnapped the girls from the Jeffersonian and they nearly died. Well, one did die. Daisy Wick was crushed to death when the floor of an old church collapsed following an explosion.

Carlie had managed to escape with a couple of cracked ribs and she was on the mend. Wendell wasn't in the initial explosion but managed to get both Carlie and Angela out before the floor collapsed. However the psychological effects of the explosion was starting to affect her.

She had been really touchy. Say something and she'd snap at you. Wendell was trying to be patient and nice to her but he was getting the brunt of her mood.

"For fucks sakes Wendell, you are driving me insane!" She yelled at him when he tried to put a coat around her while they were walking in a street. He was not expecting that reaction.

"Ok, I'm sorry. You don't want the coat." He said calmly.

"It isn't just that. You have been under my feet for the last few weeks and I'm getting sick and tired of it."

"What am I suppose to do? You've hurt yourself -"

"No Wendell, I did not hurt myself. That sick bastard drugged me and tied me to a pole and blew up the church. I cannot sleep without thinking about what happened; I cannot go anywhere alone because I'm afraid I'll be kidnapped and I am tired of you hovering over me."

"Ok, ok." He said trying to hold her but she pushed him away. "You just have PTSD. There isn't something wrong with you if that is what you think I am saying. Do you want to go home?"

"No."

"Ok, do you want to eat?"

"No."

"What do you want to do then?"

"I don't know."

"I think I know what I want to say." He said walking up to her and lifting her chin to make her look at him. "Marry me." Carlie stood back not knowing what to say.

"You cannot be serious." She said.

"I am."

"I need to…" She started to walk away but quickly turned back. "I need to think. I'll be round your place later." She walked in the direction they were going and Wendell stood there watching her leave.

"I've blown it." He said to himself.

bxbxbxbxbxb

_Let him know that you know best  
'Cause after all you do know best  
Try to slip past his defense  
Without granting innocence  
Lay down a list of what is wrong  
The things you've told him all along  
And pray to God, he hears you  
And pray to God, he hears you_

Later that evening, Wendell had told Finn to take Michelle out just so he and Carlie would have some space. He knew he had fucked it up now he had to face the music. The door knocked and he immediately jumped up to get it. He opened it and Carlie looked at him almost on the brink of tears. He let her pass and she stood in the middle of the living room.

"I cannot marry you." She said. "I really care about you which is why I am saying no. I cannot commit, and eventually, I'll break your heart."

"Ok, I get that." He said.

"We need to cool off for a while. I don't want to but when was the last time we talked without shouting at each other?"

"I don't know." He said walking towards her and engulfed her in a hug which she responded by wrapping her arms round his waist. "You're right. We need to just take a very long break."

"We are not becoming that couple." She said against his shoulder. She looked at him and her face was streaming with tears. "We need to just be apart."

"Like a break up?"

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "I don't want to but you need someone who won't break your heart. It would be better to do it now rather than later."

"Ok. Maybe we should. " He whispered. "I really do care about you Carls. You are one of the best things to ever happen to me."

He let go of her and took her hands. His lips brushed over hers before their lips connected in a kiss. Her hand went to the back of his neck holding him in place, not wanting to let go.

"One more time. Just to say goodbye." She said softly, kissing him again, tears streaming still. He removed the cardigan she was wearing and threw it onto the floor. Then her top and his shirt joined the cardigan as they fell onto the couch.

Glancing at her upper body, the bruising around her ribs had almost faded though there were still some cuts. He kissed her collarbone, unhooking her bra while doing so and it joined the pile of clothes on floor. Soon her jeans and his jeans and their shoes joined the rest of the clothing.

She knew he was going as slow as he possibly could. He wanted to savor this one last moment he had with her. She grabbed his hand and laced her fingers with his. If he was going to hate her for the rest of his life then she was savoring it as well. Their lips met once more, out of desperation and need for each other.

bxbxbxbxbxb

_As he begins to raise his voice  
You lower yours and grant him one last choice  
Drive until you lose the road  
Or break with the ones you've followed  
He will do one of two things  
He will admit to everything  
Or he'll say he's just not the same  
And you begin to wonder why you came_

"I should go." Carlie whispered lying on his shoulder, eyes red from the tears. "But I don't want to."

"I don't want you to either." Wendell also whispered. "I'm sorry."

"No, I am." She cupped his face and kissed his forehead. "I need to go." She leaned over and grabbed her clothing and started to get dressed. All he could do was watch her.

He should say, "no, stay," but he knew that she was going and he wouldn't be able to stop her. Even though her face looked red raw, she still looked so beautiful with her hair flowing over her shoulders. Once she had gotten dressed, she stood up and gave him a small sad smile before leaving.

He grabbed his boxers and t-shirt and put them on before grabbing his jeans. Pulling out his phone he checked to see if he had any messages. Zilch. Flicking through the media files he found the video he wanted. They had made it a year ago. when they were still keeping their relationship a secret. He quickly fast forwarded it to his favorite part and he played the video.

_Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend_  
_Somewhere along in the bitterness_  
_And I would have stayed up with you all night_  
_Had I known how to save a life_


	9. Talking on the Steps

**I have to admit I hated breaking them up but it is one of those things that can happen when you are young and foolish like these two. This is a few months after the break up and after something horrific happens, they find themselves talking a lot more than they have done in recent months. **

_And high up above or down below.  
When you're too in love to let it go.  
But if you never try you'll never know,  
Just what you're worth._

_Coldplay - Fix You_

_October 2013_

Wendell couldn't stay in the hospital any longer after the description of Brennan's injuries was discussed. It was making him sick. Walking down the stairs at the hospital entrance, he spotted someone familiar. Someone he knew too well. The only difference was her hair was now a warm brown color as opposed to the strawberry-blonde he knew and loved.

"Hey." he said sitting next to Carlie who was holding a coffee cup that was filled with tea.

"How is she?" Carlie asked.

"You know when you get told that it looks worse than it is? Well the opposite."

"Crikey." She whispered. "What about the baby?"

"If she is anything like Dr B, then she'll be fine. I heard about your shouting match with Booth. Thanks for that but I didn't deserve it. I had it coming from Booth."

"My God when will you get it into your head? That psycho would have kidnapped her regardless. if you blame yourself, then I'll blame me, because if I didn't say no, then you wouldn't have met Pricilla the Ice Queen."

"You and Angela need to stop coming up with nicknames for women you don't like." He said but he smiled because he did find it rather amusing. "I was stupid wasn't I?"

"We both were. We nearly - well I nearly got killed and Daisy dying, you realise life is too short. And if the timing hadn't been crappy or I trusted men better or if I didn't think I'd break your heart in the future, I would have said yes. I also lied when I said I couldn't commit. I carry way too much baggage psychologically and I didn't want be a burden."

"Remember when you thought you were pregnant? I said you could never be a burden. I thought I was the problem."

"Wendell, you are a saint. You have to be one of the best guys I have dated. You're sweet, understanding, you actually listen to me, you're great in bed and I could go on. You were nowhere near the problem." She smiled for literally the first time in days, weeks or months. "Your heart was in the right place. It's just that you suck at timing. We both do."

"As I have been told for the third time today."

"I've been to see a shrink because of what happened."

"And?"

"I'm not quite over it but I'm getting better. Turns out sleep medication can do some wonders." She stopped for a moment. "You know that fight I had with Booth really opened my eyes up. One, I have a very bad temper. Two, I can be right and wrong at the same time. Three, I couldn't keep lying to myself and four, I realised for the first time that I am in love you."

"What?" He asked in shock.

"I'm being serious Wendell Bray; I am completely and utterly in love with you. I suppose I always have been, and probably always will." She looked so sincere Wendell was afraid that she was going to say she was kidding. "When Angela dragged Brennan, Cam and I to Ibiza - the one place I did not want to go back to - all I could think about was you. We got stuck on a deserted beach - not island as it turned out to be - and I went to go and get food. All I wanted to do was see you, because even though it was awkward between us, I knew that we still had a chance and if I didn't get off that flaming island then I would have never had the chance to tell you all this. I've spent nights hugging a pillow because I missed you and that is sad even for me."

Wendell was really dumbfounded, "I really have no idea what to say."

"I didn't or don't expect you to say it back, I just wanted to say how I feel about you." She started to get up but he stopped her by grabbing her hand. He wasn't letting her go this time.

"Just don't think it is unrequited." He said, softly stroking his thumb over her hand. He thought about what Angela had told him earlier that day.

She smiled before kissing his cheek. "I never said thank you for getting me out of that church. Consider that a thank you." She said. "Do you think we rushed things?"

"No, but we should have given ourselves a chance to become friends before we drank tequila and wound up having sex in Vegas." He said. "Maybe we should just be friends for a while."

"And what if one of us wants to get back together?"

"We'll let the other know." He said and she placed her head on his shoulder.

"Brennan's going to be alright isn't she?"

"I hope so. I like your hair by the way."


	10. Silly Little Sheets of Card

_I know you haven't made your mind up yet,  
But I'll never do you wrong.  
I've known it from the moment that we met,  
No doubt in my mind where you belong._

_Adele - Make You Feel My Love_

_February 2014_

"Whoever keeps knocking is sure to get a kick if they carry on." Carlie said walking to her front door, which had been knocking for the past minute. When she opened the front door she found Wendell standing at the door with some card in his hand.

"Um… Wendell? What are you doing?" She asked looking confused.

He flipped his card over and it said in big black letters:** SORRY TO DISTURB YOU, - I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU SOMETHINGS.**

"Why are you writing this on big sheets of card?" She asked even more confused. He flipped over to the next sheet

**I THOUGHT IT WOULD LOOK BETTER THAN ME - TRYING TO FIND THE RIGHT WORDS TO SAY - AND SOUNDING LIKE A BLITHERING IDIOT.**

"Ok."

He flipped again: **WHAT I WANT TO SAY IS THAT I KNOW - WE'VE BEEN THROUGH A LOT IN THIS LAST YEAR - BUT I NEED YOU TO KNOW THAT I AM COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY - IN LOVE WITH YOU.**

Carlie looked at the card in front of her and then she looked into his eyes.

**I'M BEING SERIOUS. - CARLA EDWARDS I LOVE YOU - I WILL LOVE YOU UNTIL YOU LOOK LIKE THIS.**

The next card looked as though it was a decomposed mummy. Carlie laughed.

**AND SO BECAUSE IT IS VALENTINE'S DAY - THE DAY FOR LOVERS EVERYWHERE - I WAS JUST WONDERING - IF YOU COULD GIVE ME A CHANCE TO PROVE MYSELF TO YOU? **

She looked at the cards and then his eyes. Without a second thought, she kissed him, grabbing his shirt collar, and Wendell dropped the cards and wrapped his arm around her waist and place his hand in her newly shoulder length hair.

They let go when Carlie felt a tug on her cardigan and she saw Will standing there looking between them both. "Sorry Honey, I just got distracted."

"Is Wendell coming in?" The boy asked.

"If he wants to."she said looking up at him.

"Sure. Why not."

bxbxbxbxbxb

Later that night, both were cooling down after a rather vigorous - but quiet not to disturb the six-year-old - love making session.

"So how long did it take you to do those cards?" Carlie whispered setting her head on the pillow next to him.

"Three hours. And that was with Finn's help." He replied.

"You must have put a lot of thought into it. Even if you did steal my 'completely and utterly in love with you' line." She smiled placing a soft kiss on his lips.

"I had to get my inspiration from somewhere." He said rolling her over.

"Oh this is going to be a fun night." She laughed slightly.

"We have a lot of time to make up for." He kissed her again pushing her hair out of her face. "I love you." He whispered.

"I love you too." She whispered back.

_I could make you happy;  
Make your dreams come true,  
Nothing that I wouldn't do.  
Go to the ends of the earth for you,  
To make you feel my love.  
To make you feel my love._

**Hands up how many of you would love it if a guy did that. There's more to come so sit tight.**


	11. Texts and Red Lace

_I kiss you on the brain in the shadow of the train;  
Kiss you all starry-eyed, my body swinging from side to side.  
I don't see what anyone can see in anyone else, but you.  
Here is the church and here is the steeple,  
We sure are cute for two ugly people.  
I don't see what anyone can see in anyone else, but you._

_The Moldy Peaches - Anyone Else but You_

_July 2014_

Wendell knew Carlie was mad at him. By chance, he had ran into an ex-girlfriend in the diner and she had started to flirt with him. He didn't flirt back but when you have your girlfriend present at the time, she isn't going to be happy.

He looked over to her examining some organs in the autopsy room and decided to text her.

_Message Wendell: R u still mad?_

Receiving the text, Carlie looked up and found him waving at her phone in hand with a smile on his face.

_Message Carls: Of course not._

_Message Wendell: R u sure. You seemed pissed._

_Message Carls: I'm not mad. I just don't like the idea of that Stella seems to be still hung up on you._

_Message Wendell: It's Silvia._

_Message Carls: Whatever._

_Message Wendell: C that was a silly high school that has no relevance to you and me._

_Message Carls: Have you told her that?_

_Message Wendell: No. Should I?_

_Message Carls: I'm not saying you should. Am I being possessive?_

_Message Wendell: A tiny bit, but you are the one for me. You have no reason to be worried._

_Message Carls: I'm sorry._

_Message Wendell: Don't be babe. I love you._

_Message Carls: I love you too. Do you fancy taking a lunch break? Preferably at your apartment._

_Message Wendell: Maybe it shouldn't just be my apartment._

_Message Carls: Huh? Are you asking Will and me to move in?_

_Message Wendell: I suppose I am. _

_Message Carls: I'd love to._

_Message Wendell: Great. I'll meet you at our apartment. X_

_Message Carls: I'll see you there. X_

Carlie smiled when she saw him walking away as she put her phone back in her pocket. "

And you Mr Bray are in for a treat later." She said to herself.

bxbxbxbxbxb

Carlie had went to lunch early to get ready for him with the key that Wendell had given her ages ago. She had bought a new red lace underwear set (consisting of a bra, panties and a negligée - all separate) a few days ago but needed something to pair with it. That is why when she was trying to find Finn a present for his birthday in the men's department she found a black shirt which would go so well with the set.

Wendell came home about thirty minutes after and found her sitting on the couch in the shirt and underwear.

"Oh my God." He said stunned.

"You like?" She asked smiled at his reaction.

"Very much." He said pulling her up and warping his arms around her waist. "Was this for me?"

"Who else would it be for?" She laughed before pressing her lips against his and he lifted her up.

"I don't know. Your tall, dark handsome stranger?" He asked sitting her on the counter, pushing the stool out of the way. He settled in-between her and she wrapped her legs around his waist.

"You mean my tall, fair sexy scientist." She said huskily. He kissed her again and she started to work on his shirt buttons. "I suppose there is a busty blonde woman you are thinking about."

"Baby, you are it for me." He lay her down and started kissing her flat stomach.

The door slammed shut and she immediately sat up covering herself with the shirt. Finn walked in and saw the couple and he immediately covered his eyes.

"Is there anywhere you don't do it?" He asked sounding annoyed.

"Um, well we haven't done it in the laundry room downstairs." Carlie said jokingly.

"Ok I don't need to know." Finn said. "Can't you go into your room and do it? Like normal people? Doing it on the counter isn't hygienic."

"We've done it on here before. We cleaned up after." Wendell said.

"Ok did not need to know that."

"There is something you need to know Finn." Carlie said. "Will and I are moving in."

"Does this mean I have to move out?" Finn asked.

"No of course not." She said. "It's a three bedroom apartment. There is enough space for the four of us."

"I know but what if you guys have a baby? Where is that going to sleep? You're not pregnant are you? Is that why you are moving in?"

"No, I'm not. Besides babies tend to stay in the parents' room for the first six months." She answered.

"And I don't think we're going to have one for a while yet so you're good to stay." Wendell said. "Are you going to stay?"

"If you want me out of your hair I'll go." Finn said. "I only came back to get a shirt 'cause I'm meeting Michelle at the diner."

"Ok." They said. Finn went to his room and grabbed the shirt he wanted and left them.

"So. Where were we?" She asked smiling at him. He laid her back down and started kissing her stomach again lightly. He moved lower to just above the panties.

He hooked his fingers and pulled them down getting onto his knees. He kissed her thigh a couple of times before he kissed her intimately and dragging his tongue along her slit which caused his girlfriend to gasp. He smiled at her reaction and continued his ministrations.

"Oh my God." Carlie moaned placing her hand in his hair to hold him in place.

"Wendell will do nicely." He said smirking before attaching his lips to her bud which then made her gasp louder.

He slipped his index finger inside and rolled his tongue over her clit and Carlie bit her lip and cursed something in Spanish, "Cógeme."

"I will once I have finished this." He said sucking on the sensitive bud harder and pumped his finger in quicker.

"Oh my - Wendell." She moaned her voice raising an octave. One last thrust of his finger set her over the edge and she let out a large moan and shook. "Oh my God." She said under her breath.

Standing up, Wendell picked her up bridal style and carried her to his room and lay her on the bed. "That was bloody amazing." She said when she regained function of her head.

"Glad to make you feel that way." He said kissing her.

"How long until we have to go back?"

"Twenty minutes."

"That's enough time." She pulled him on top of her and pulled his shirt and then his wife beater.

He kissed her passionately and pulled the black shirt off her. She went to the zip on his work pants and they were soon naked and he gently pushed into her.

The thrusts became quicker as the moans and grunts filled the room.

"Harder." She said and he did so.

"Yes." He grunted kissing a spot behind her ear.

She had her hands wrapped around his body and he had his arms either side of her. He pressed his lips against hers and she let out a cry and shuddered and he followed straight after.

"Am I forgiven then?" He asked.

"Totally." She replied dazedly. He kissed her again, rolled off her and lay beside her. "We've got five minutes. Let's get dressed."

She swung her legs over the bed and grabbed the dress she was wearing earlier and started to put it on when she was pulled backwards. "Hey!"

"We could just tell Cam that we feel funny." Wendell said.

"Oh Mr Hard Worker wants to play hooky?"

"Well I've just had a mind blowing experience with my very sexy English l." He responded kissing her nose. "A dead body isn't going to move very far. And Dr B gave me the afternoon off."

"What about me?"

"Well, do you want to be on top this time?" She slapped his shoulder but laughed.

"Hold on. I just need to put Finn's birthday present in his room." She pecked his lips and walked out of the room and into Finn's room and placed the present on the bed when something caught her eye.

"Hey what's up?" Wendell asked when she walked in looking stunned.

"I just found condoms on Finn's bedside table." She answered sitting down on the bed.

"Carls, the guy is twenty. I would be very surprised if he hasn't lost his virginity by now."

"I know. It's just Finn and Michelle though. Cam's going to flip when she finds out."

"I know. Look, the worst that could happen is that she falls pregnant. At least they are taking precautions."

"Yeah you are right."

"You know I am." He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed the back of her head. "I love you you worried mother."

"I am a mom I should have you know." She smiled. "Now what were you saying about me going on top?"


	12. Finn's Food

_You think I'm pretty without any make up on.  
You think I'm funny when I tell the punch line wrong.  
I know you get me so I'll let my walls come down.  
Down.  
Before you met, I was a wreck,  
But things were kind of heavy, you brought me to life,  
Now every February, you'll be my Valentine.  
Valentine._

_Katy Perry - Teenage Dream_

_August 2014_

Living with three boys was actually a lot easier than Carlie thought it would be. For one she could threaten a sex ban over Wendell. Two, Will is a very easy child. Three, Finn is a tidy person and he absolutely loved the cook book she had gotten him for his birthday. That was the problem.

"Morning pretty lady." Wendell said kissing her cheek on morning as she turned off the alarm.

"Morning." She replied. He kissed her softly. "Fancy making it a very good morning?"

"Oh yeah." He whispered kissing her again.

"Ok, so we have Eggs Benedict and jalapeño infused bacon." Finn said barging in with a plate. The couple separated and Carlie let out a frustrated sigh.

bxbxbxbxbxb

"So I managed to pin point the points of impact the car hit the victim and the damage looks like it could have killed the guy before he was ran back over." Angela explained to the intern who wasn't really paying attention. "Ok, what's up?"

"What?" Carlie asked snapping out of her thoughts.

"I just told you what killed someone and you are in the land of the fairies."

"Finn's cooking is what is up."

"Is it that bad?"

"The food is delicious; it's just interrupting my sex life. Wendell and I try to get a moment; Finn comes in with the Eggs Benedict, the meatball salad, the patatas bravas or the raspberry crème brûlée. And it is all delicious." She stopped for a moment. "I don't mind him being there, he was there first, but there are boundaries."

"Have you told Finn about this?"

"I don't want to. He's so sweet and I know that he is new at this but I don't want to hurt his feelings by telling him to back off. Plus I actually do like the food."

"Honey, you're twenty-four. Food should not be above sex. If you were pregnant then I'd understand because I have three kids and food was always on top when I was having them. However this isn't about me. You need to stand your ground in that apartment and get your sex life back on track."

"You know what, you are right. What were you saying about the car?"

bxbxbxbxbxb

It was around seven when she finally got in from work. Will was focussing on cartoons while Wendell was in the kitchen setting plates out.

"You're back." He said.

"Sorry, I had to wait for the toxicology results to come back. Has he finished his homework?" she said setting her bag on the side.

"Yep and dinners nearly done."

"Plenty of time." She said pulling his collar and placed a firm kiss on his lips.

"Ok, I'll go along with it." He said responding to the kiss. There was a bell and Finn rushed passed them and they separated when he knocked into them.

"Honey glazed ham is ready." He said turning the oven off.

"The honey glazed ham is ready." Carlie echoed in frustration.

"He's spent hours doing this." Wendell whispered in her ear.

bxbxbxbxbxb

The next day, the sexual frustration was getting the better of Carlie. She nearly butchered a kidney to pieces when she explained to Angela how the previous night went.

"The ham was that good I couldn't even move let alone have sex." She explained, her hand with the scalpel shaking in frustration.

"Ok, Carls, set the scalpel down before you do some damage to yourself." Angela said lowering her friend's arm.

"Sorry, but I'm a woman who has needs. Eight hours a day I am a working woman, six hours a day and fourteen on the weekend I am a mom, seven hours I sleep. All I ask is to have some time alone with my boyfriend. I mean despite how amazing the food is, it can never beat the sex and that is what I need."

"You know what to do then."

bxbxbxbxbxb

Carlie walked into the apartment carrying pizza boxes and a beer case in her arms. They boys were gathered around the counter

"Um, you bought pizza?" Finn asked looking at the box.

"Yep." She said setting them on the counter.

"But I cooked Kung Pao broccoli, tofu and cashew nuts with stir-fried pak choi." Finn said pointing at the frying pan. She walked around and picked up the pan, tossing it in the bin.

"Carls." Wendell said looking astonished at his girlfriend's actions.

"Finn, I love you in a platonic manner. I love how great you are with my son. I love your cooking but the patatas bravas, the Kung Pao thingy and the honey glazed ham is getting in the way of Wendell and mine's sex life." she said. "We're more than just interns, we are hot and sexy and we have needs. So what I am going to recommend is that we're - as in Wendell and I - are going to eat pizza, drink beer in bed and have lots of sex. You are on babysitting duty."

"Can I at least have some pizza?" Finn said with an understanding look.

"I got you and Will one." She said handing him the box. Finn walked over to the couch where the boy was.

"That was kind of hot in a way." Wendell said walking around wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Well, should we go to our room?" She asked kissing him.


	13. Baby Talk

**This song isn't on my IPod. I'm not that crazy to listen to Christmas songs when it isn't Christmas - despite how much I tell myself.**

_Once bitten and twice shy.  
I kept my distance,  
But you still catch my eye.  
Tell me baby,  
Do you recognise me?  
Well, it's been a year, it doesn't surprise me._

_Wham - Last Christmas_

_December 2014_

A positive pregnancy test had been found in the trash in the Lab and Brennan was trying to find out who is pregnant. When the news spread to Wendell, he had to go straight to Carlie to get some answers.

"Don't you think I would have told you by now?" asked Carlie.

"You're right; I just got a little freaked out. After two pregnancy scares you have to be alert when there is a positive pregnancy test." He said placing his hand on her shoulder.

"The thing is I'm worried it could be Michelle."

"As in Cam's Michelle?"

"No as in Michelle Obama." She said sarcastically raising her eyebrow.

"I admit that was a stupid question. If it is Michelle, then Finn is well and truly screwed." Wendell leaned against the barriers and started to play with the cigarette behind his ear.

"What would your dad say?" She asked.

"We need to ask him if Michelle has told him anything."

bxbxbxbxbxb

"Finn, can I ask you something Buddy?" Wendell said walking up to Finn who was minding his own business.

"Depends on what it is." He answered.

"Has Michelle spoken to you about anything…life changing?"

"Is this about the pregnancy test that Dr Brennan found?"

"Maybe."

"Do you really think that low of me?"

"Oh cut the crap Abernathy." Carlie said from the platform above them. "I saw the condoms."

"You do realise that Cam is going to kill you if Michelle is pregnant?" Wendell asked. "She's only in her second year of college."

"I know I would be screwed." Finn said. "Look Michelle hasn't mentioned anything to me, and knowing Michelle she would have told me by now."

"He has a point." Carlie said to Wendell.

"If it isn't you, Dr B, Michelle or Angela then who?" Wendell asked himself.

"Who is the only woman you have missed off that list." said Carlie

"Cam." said both Wendell and Finn.

bxbxbxbxbxb

"Well, you cannot say that wasn't an interesting day." Carlie said when she and Wendell were on the couch drinking beer.

"Well I wasn't expecting it to be Cam if I'm honest." Wendell replied. "If I'm honest I was sort of hoping it was us."

"Really?" She asked looking stunned.

"I know it sounds crazy but when Hodgins said Dr B was looking for the culprit, something inside my head wanted it to be us."

"I actually don't know what to say."

"That's a first. Usually it's my thing."

"Babies are a lot more hard work than you think. They don't just sleep and eat you know."

"But we aren't easy either."

"We've been together for a while and I would want nothing more than to have a baby with you, but we need time to ourselves before we even consider having one." She smiled softly. "Movie's on in a minute."

She leaned over to lie on his chest and he wrapped his arm around her, laying his hand on her stomach. Rolling her eyes, she moved his hand to her hip.


	14. The Test

**I'm skipping along about eighteen months because it is just the normal boring stuff. But the good news is that they are both doctors now so.**

_He doesn't look a thing like Jesus,  
But he talks like a gentleman,  
Like you imagined  
When you were young._

_The Killers - When you Were Young_

_June 2016_

A body had been found along the Mexican border so Clark, Fisher and Carlie were dispatched to the scene.

In the car, Clark was driving and Carlie had called dibs on the front seat so Fisher was in the back. "So what is the condition of the body?" Fisher asked.

"Flesh was falling off it apparently." Clark answered. "Vultures were picking at it."

"Delightful." Carlie said sarcastically. She placed a hand on her head as a wave of nausea washed over her.

"Are you alright?" Fisher asked.

"I'm fine." She answered.

"Are you sure, you look nauseous?" Clark asked.

"Focus on the road." She said. This was the fifth day in a row that she had felt this. She never had car sickness. She did however have duck from a new Chinese restaurant a few nights ago and it did look a little pink. Food poisoning that had to be the problem. "How long until we get there?"

"About three hours. You know Spanish right?" Clark asked.

"Yeah but don't expect me to get it all down." She answered.

"Are you sure you are alright? It's going to be hot so the remains will smell bad." Clark asked again.

"I am fine." She insisted firmly.

bxbxbxbxbxb

Three hours later and they finally arrived at the crime scene and the heat hit them and hit Carlie even worse. It turned out that they spoke rather good English so there was no need to translate.

"A couple of children were playing near the wall when they stumbled across this guy." Tthe officer explained as he walked the three of them towards the remains.

"Blimey that looks bad." Fisher said crouching down by the body.

"It looks to be a male in his 40s." Clark assessed. "Hispanic as well. Carlie can you collect the flesh that is on the floor?" There was a silence. "Carlie, flesh." He said again. When he turned around and found her behind the car, bent over and heaving. He walked over to her and grabbed a water bottle from the back of the car. "Are you alright?" He asked offering her the water once she had stopped.

"Food poisoning." She answered taking the water and having a large gulp of it. "I've had it for a week."

"Maybe you should go to the doctor. See if they could give you something."

"Clark, I'm fine. It's going to take more than a stomach bug to get to me."

bxbxbxbxbxb

The Jeffersonian van had arrived to collect the remains and the flesh and the trio were on their way back. The stopped at a gas station to fill up.

While the boys were bickering over something unimportant, Carlie had gone to pay for the gas and to pick up some sodas. She went to the medicine aisle to see if there was anything to settle her stomach; she saw a pregnancy test but turned away trying not to think about it.

'_I cannot be pregnant. We've been so careful.'_ She thought.

She then counted in her head then thought of the symptoms she had experienced: nausea, going off certain foods, tender breasts and a missed period. Without a second thought she picked a test up and placed it in the basket.

"Hey, what did you get?" Fisher asked when she was walking towards the car.

"Soda and chewing gum." She answered. "And something for my stomach."

"Are you alright now?" Clark asked.

"I just want to get home."

bxbxbxbxbxb

Carlie was sitting on the couch not paying attention to the TV screen. She heard the door go and Wendell walked in whistling.

"Hey." He said smiling at her.

"Hey." She said looking at him.

"You alright?" He asked looking concerned due to her blank reaction.

"You might want to sit down." She said and he sat next to her. She took his hands. "Ok. So while we were on the way back, we stopped off at a petrol station and I've felt sick all week."

"Are you okay?" He asked sounding worried.

"I'm pregnant Wendell." She said.

"Are you sure?"

"Two tests. Both positive." She looked at his face for a moment. "Honey I know that this may be a little soon and we haven't discussed this but -" Wendell cut her off by kissing her and she placed her hand on the back of his head. "I take that as an 'I'm okay with this'." She said when he let go.

"Of course I'm okay with this." He said smiling at her. His hand went to her stomach caressing it softly. He kissed her again and she lay down taking him with her. "You're amazing you know that."

"I've been told." She smiled and they kissed again.


	15. Just One of Those Things That Happen

**Another really high emotive, angsty chapter. I actually wrote this storyline in Family in the Adventures (chapters 28, 30, 33 and 34) because I didn't really think that I would ever get this story down. Anyways these were just the bits that I left out.**

_Be my friend.  
Hold me, wrap me up,  
Unfold me, I am small  
I'm needy, warm me up,  
And breathe me._

_Sia - Breathe Me_

_June 2016_

Ectopic. By definition: in the wrong place.

A few days after taking the test, Carlie had felt strange sensations in her back but had put it down to sleeping at a funny angle. Then while talking to Brennan about a possible cause of death on a victim, she collapsed.

Wendell had been at the crime scene and as soon as he had gotten the message he darted and drove as fast as he could towards the hospital. By the time he arrived, Carlie was out of surgery but knocked out by the pain medication. Brennan explained to him what had happened and the guilt of not being there just punched him in his gut.

Carlie had ruptured a fallopian tube, had lost a lot of blood and lost the baby.

Wendell spent a lot of time looking around the hospital room. He remembered a lot of the stuff he saw. The blood bag that Carlie had been given was B+, she had been given morphine for the pain, her heart rate fluctuated between 89 and 96. Her blood pressure was also a little low due to the blood loss. Carlie just didn't look right. Her face was ashen, her eyes were sullen and her hair was limp. She looked lifeless.

When he took her home after a couple of days, she had been so weak due to the blood loss and drowsy due to the pain killers she couldn't move a lot. Wendell had tried his best to explain to Will what happened but the news hadn't quite sunken in yet for him let alone a nine-year-old.

"Your mom's just ill at the moment kiddo." Wendell said.

"What happened?" The boy asked.

"She was having a baby but now she is not."

"How come?"

"These things just happen and we cannot do anything about it." That bit was a lie. He knew the reason why the baby was gone.

He also did his best to make sure the boy was alright. Will just looked perplexed as to what was going on. Carlie stayed in the bed for a few days while Wendell stayed on the couch. She needed the bed space plus he was afraid that he would hurt her.

"How are you feeling?" Wendell asked about a week after the miscarriage. Carlie was sitting on the couch with a blanket over her lap with her hair tied back and wearing her pink pyjama pants and pink, purple and blue stripped t-shirt and a sweatshirt. She still looked pale and tired.

"I'm fine." She said quietly, not looking up at him. He sat down next to her and placed his hand on her knee. She shifted at the touch but looked up at him.

"Do you want something to eat?" She shook her head. Wendell noticed her hands were on her stomach. "Are you in pain?" She nodded and he went to the kitchen and grabbed some water and her pain killers. He handed them both to her and she took the pill and swallowed it down with water.

The door knocked and Wendell went to get it and was greeted by Finn, who had moved out ages ago.

"Hey buddy, how is everyone?" Finn asked.

"Come in and you'll find out." Wendell said as Finn walked past him and into the living room.

"Hey CJ. How are you feeling?" Finn asked sitting down on the stool in the kitchen.

"I wish people would stop asking me that, but fine." She answered not looking up at him.

"You look better." Finn said hoping it would cheer her up a little.

"Thanks." She smiled slightly. "Why are you here anyway?"

"Am I not allowed to see how my friends are?" Finn asked.

"You usually come around to drag Wendell out for drinks or to borrow food." She stated. "Speaking of which, can you take him out for a bit?"

"Wait what?" Wendell asked looking stunned.

"You need to get out. You cannot keep hovering over me." She answered.

"CJ, I'm not sure that-"

"Finn, take the man out." She told the Southern boy firmly.

"Ok, I'll take him out."

"I'm not a dog you know." Wendell said. He walked over to his girlfriend and kissed her forehead. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I have a TV, a crappy film and a comfortable sofa. I'll be fine." She answered.

"Ok, I'll be back soon."

At Founding Fathers, Finn was talking non-stop about random stuff, which Wendell was not listening to. He was quietly sipping his beer, mind focusing on what had happened in the last week. Finn had noticed his friend's distance.

"You alright buddy?" He asked.

"I'm fine Finn." Wendell answered.

"You look as distant as a sunset to a boat."

"I'm fine." He answered only firmer.

"Is this about Carlie and the baby?" Wendell remained silent. "Wendell, you have to say something."

"Like what?"

"How you really feel."

"Ok, I feel useless. I cannot help her in anyway. I feel guilty because I wasn't there with her. I'm angry at the fucking universe and at myself." He took a large swig of the beer before continuing. "She nearly died and I wasn't there. That's what's wrong. I don't want to admit that this has happened, because that would mean admitting that I nearly lost her again." he hit his head off the counter and Fin could see him sobbing.

"Oh no." Finn placed his hand on his friend's shoulder trying to comfort the broken man. "Come on Buddy." He whispered. He gave him a hug patting his back in reassurance. "It's okay."

Finn took Wendell home where they found Carlie asleep on the couch, TV still on.

"Are you going to be alright now?" Finn asked as Wendell sat next to her. He nodded in response and Finn left them together alone.

Wendell didn't do anything. He just curled up behind her and wrapped his arm around her.

bxbxbxbxbxb

The next few weeks were the hardest. Carlie had tried to go back to work but Sweets had denied to sign her psych form because he felt like she hadn't recovered mentally. Then she got stuck in a lift with Booth and had a breakdown, in which the agent managed to calm her down. He couldn't just leave her crying; she was almost like a sister to him.

She wanted to speak to Wendell. She needed to talk to him. Desperately needed to talk to him. For two weeks, she tried to talk to him but he quickly turned the conversation away.

Then one day, Brennan and Booth gave Wendell a verbal kick up the backside to go and talk to her. He did. They had a talk about how they were feeling following the miscarriage. They discussed whether they should try for a baby once she had recovered. They decided that it was way too stressful and that they should let fate decide.

"What do you think it was?" Carlie asked lying on the bed staring at the ceiling of their room with Wendell lying beside her, also staring at the ceiling.

"I don't know. A girl maybe. A girl with your eyes, your temper." He answered.

"Your brains." Hhe said smiling.

"You are just as smart as me."

"No, you're smarter. I think if it was a boy, he'd look like you."

"With my daft face?"

"Not daft. Quite attractive really." She turned and leaned over to kiss him softly for the first time in weeks.

Over the next couple of months they got better. Carlie went back to work and they started to move on. She went to her scheduled OB appointment.

"Hey Carla, how are we feeling?" Dr Fields asked sitting at the desk.

"Better, I'm not in much pain as I was. I'm back of work." Carlie answered.

"Well that's good." The OB said. "Well, I've looked at the results of your tests. Unfortunately, the fallopian tube that ruptured is permanently damaged so it does affect your fertility but it shouldn't be much of an issue. This does increase the chances of this happening again but by only a little so if you do fall pregnant again you'll need an ultrasound as soon as you find out."

"Ok, I understand."

"I know that this has been hard on you and your partner but the good news is that you can start having sex again. Are you planning on trying?"

"Not really. It might be too soon to try having a baby."

"That's understandable."

So she pulled out the red lace underwear set and black shirt combo Wendell loved so much. She also brought the wine and the music. Wendell walked into their apartment and his mouth nearly dropped at the sight of her. He couldn't have scooped her into his arms fast enough.

Because even when something as heartbreaking as that happens, they need each other's strength and love to carry on. You eat, you drink, you make love, you work. Just ordinary stuff.

That is how we survive. We just live.


	16. Weddings and Identity

**Ok, after that intense chapter, we have a wedding for our couple to go to. **

_My tea's gone cold, I'm wondering why.  
Got out of bed alone,  
The morning rain clouds at my window,_  
_And I can't see at all,  
And even if I could it' d all be grey,  
But your picture on my wall.  
It reminds me  
That it's not so bad, it's not so bad._

_Dido - Thank You_

_September 2016_

"Oh my fucking goodness." Carlie said when she looked at a card in her hands.

"What?" Wendell asked. "You don't say that for no reason."

"My brother is getting married." she said sitting on the couch.

"Which one?"

"Jay. Problem is, it is this weekend. Trust him to send out an invitation the week of the actual bloody event."

"Are we going?"

"I'm not sure. I still don't feel like facing everyone after what happened. I got Rachel's hopes up about her becoming an aunt again." Despite her issues with her family, Carlie got on better with her sister than she did with her father and had always stuck up for her when Rachel and her father had an argument.

"But you haven't seen your sister for a while. Maybe you should go just to see her."

"But knowing my family there will be an argument and it won't be the ones we have over what's for dinner. It'll be a major fucking mess."

"But he is your brother though." he said sitting beside her.

"God, I hate you when you are right." she said rolling her eyes.

"So, are we going?"

"We'll stay for food because as soon as everyone has booze in them the fighting starts and I am not getting involved."

"Okay. Deal."

"Unless you want to take full advantage of the rooms the hotel have?"

"Depends on how nice they are."

"The reception is at Westin Jersey City Newport Hotel. The rooms are bound to be nice."

bxbxbxbxbxb

It was a normal catholic service, dinner was fine. Unfortunately they had been forced to stay.

"Are you allowed to drink now?" Rachel asked sitting next to her sister at the bar.

"I am, I just don't feel like drinking." Carlie answered. "You know I don't drink that much."

"Fair enough. Just try to keep our father away from me."

"I'm trying to keep him away from Wendell. Not working at the moment."

"What is Dad's problem with Wendell. They guy is like so perfect I would try to steal him off you if I wasn't into girls."

"Money. It all comes down to money in Dad's world. And by the way if you did try to steal him I'd kick your arse."

"I think Dad was expecting me to burst into flames as soon as I entered that church."

"Well I'm not exactly a good catholic either so don't beat yourself up."

"So how are things since you know?"

"I'm good. I wasn't too sure about coming here after what happened but I'm well. One step at a time."

"What happened to make you not come here?" a voice asked beside them and Carlie immediately tensed up. It was her father.

"I, ur, had a small car accident." Carlie said sounding unsure. "The guy was texting and not looking where he was going."

"Are you suing?"

"No I wasn't paying much attention either." she said. "I'm fine Dad honestly. Go and talk to Aunt Catherine before she tries to get off with one the waiters." The man walked away and Carlie turned to the bar again. "I may actually want to drink now."

"Does Dad still think you are pregnant?" Rachel asked.

"He doesn't even know I was pregnant. Remember when I didn't tell him that I was pregnant with Will until I was four months down the line?"

"Why don't you ever tell him these things?"

"You didn't come out to him until you were nineteen. So you know."

"You were pregnant?" It was a father again with Wendell behind him.

"Sorry." he mimed to Carlie to which she rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, Dad I was. Ectopic, about three months ago." Carlie answered.

"Did you know?" he asked Rachel.

"Yeah, I'm her sister, she tells me these things." Rachel answered.

"I'm her father. She could have told me."

"You're not my dad though." Carlie said. "I know I'm adopted. I've known since I was seventeen. I found the adoption certificate in the photo that Gran gave to me. The one of her and Great-Aunt Sophia."

"Oh that makes so much more sense now." Rachel said. "What? She's whiter than a sheet of paper compared to us."

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" Carlie asked her father.

"You don't need to know who your biological mother is Carla. She doesn't want to know."

"Well, I want to know. This is my identity we're talking about." she started to walk away but was taken by the hand by Wendell. "I don't want to talk to you right now." she said.

bxbxbxbxbxb

In the hotel room, Carlie was watching a movie on the television, Will was asleep on the spare bed and Wendell was taking his shirt off.

"Are you still mad at me?" he asked in a loud whisper not to wake Will up.

"Yep." she whispered back not looking at him. "Told you it would turn into a mess."

"I'm sorry. I actually did think you told him."

"I know you are sorry but it doesn't mean that I've forgiven you."

"What about all the adoption drama?"

"He never told me and I want to know why. I want to know why my mother gave me up."

"Maybe she was too young."

"I was too bloody young and I still got on alright. When I found out I was pregnant with Will, I thought I could have an abortion but the fact that I didn't have an identity stopped me. I'm a mom and that is my identity."

"You are more than just a mom." he said climbing onto the bed next to her. He turned her head to face him. "You are a pathologist and a damn good one, you are a friend to many people and you are my beautiful girlfriend and I love you. That is your identity." he said kissing her nose.

"I just want to know where I came from. You know where you came from and that is something I want to know." she said a tear forming in her eye and he wiped it.

"Babe." he whispered kissing her forehead. "One day you'll know."

"I'm sorry I was horrible to you."

"It's okay." he said letting her lie her head on his shoulder. He stroked her hair trying to sooth her. "Are you going to try and look for your birth mom?"

"I don't know. What if my father is right? About me not needing to know who she is?"

"You do have the right to know but it's entirely your choice."

"Would you help me if I need you?"

"Yeah of course."


	17. Chicken Pox

_When your down and lost,  
And you need a helping hand,  
When your down and lost along the way.  
Just try a little harder,  
Try your best to make it through the day.  
Oh just tell yourself  
Ah, I'll be OK._

_McFly - I'll be Ok_

_December 2016_

"Hey, what are we watching?" Carlie asked walking up to Wendell and Finn on the observation area above the platform.

"Well, We're waiting for these people to unload some remains for us to examine." Wendell answered.

"They're from Mongolia or somewhere around there." Finn said.

"Ok, that sounds cool." she said. "Sweetie are you alright, you look flushed?" she asked Wendell.

"I've got a headache." he answered. "I've taken something for it."

"I have a remedy for a headache that doesn't involves pills." she whispered into his ear huskily.

"I've got half hour." he whispered back.

"Bone storage?" she whispered as well with a smirk on her face.

By the time the door to bone storage was locked, Wendell had been pinned to the wall nearest to the door, lips crushed against Carlie's as she worked the buttons on his lab coat.

"You're hot." she said.

"Thanks, you're gorgeous." he said kissing her again.

"Not you're hot. Like you have a fever." she said pulling away feeling his head. "You do have a fever. Wait a minute, is that chicken pox?" she said pulling the shirt away from his skin to reveal some spots on his clavicle. "Oh my God, you have chicken pox." she said stepping back.

"Mood breaker?" he asked.

bxbxbxbxbxb

"Are the oven gloves really necessary?" Wendell asked when Carlie was wrapping tape around the bottom of the oven gloves on his hands.

"Word to the wise: chicken pox itch like hell so this is to stop you from scratching and getting scars." she explained. "Plus you are highly contagious and I don't know if everyone has had chicken pox or not."

"Have you had it?"

"Yeah, when I was four. You don't have to worry about Will either; he had it when he was three. How have you not had it?"

"I don't know, I didn't catch illnesses as a kid." he answered trying to rub the back of his neck. "This is going to drive me nuts."

"Where did you get it from?"

"There's been an outbreak in the day care and the Early Learning Centre. I was keeping an eye on Katy the other day so I must have caught it off her."

"I'll call Booth to check but you need to relax and try to resist scratching."

"That is easier said than done."

bxbxbxbxbxb

Day three and the rash had spread a little and it was a pain in the ass. Every time the urge to itch overcame Wendell, the oven gloves didn't help.

"Can I scratch once, please?" he begged his girlfriend.

"No." she answered. "I don't want you to scar."

"But I'm dying here. My back is itching like hell, I've put up with this for too long. Do you know what makes this worse?"

"The fact you don't stop complaining about it."

"I cannot stop thinking about it. All I can think about is putting Monopoly houses down my shirt and roll around on the floor."

"Sweetie, no. No matter how much you beg, cry or pout, I am not taking those gloves off."

"I could try something else." he said with a flirtatious smile. "You're immune to it."

"Not going to happen."

bxbxbxbxbxb

"How long do I have to wait until this stops?" Wendell asked Will on the fifth day.

"Nine days." the boy answered. "This is killing you isn't it?"

"Yes. Tell you what if I had a time machine, I'd go back to fifth grade and rub Stella Morris all over me."

"Did she have chicken pox?"

"Yep. And I wish I would have gotten it the rather than now." he replied trying to scratch his neck against the back of the couch. "Or that they didn't exist."

"I got a scar doing that."

"I actually don't care, I just want to scratch."

"Don't tell Mom." Will said pulling at the tape on the gloves.

"Thank you." he said once he got his hands out of the gloves and scratched vigorously on the back of his neck.

"Don't mention it Dad - I mean Wendell." Will said getting up and walking away.

Wendell stopped scratching a moment. He smiled a moment before returning to the itch.

bxbxbxbxbxb

"I cannot believe me that you managed to get these gloves off." Carlie said taping the gloves back on.

"I'm sorry." he said with a small smile on his face.

"Well, your neck seems to have survived so there isn't a chance it could scar."

"Will called me Dad today."

"Really?" she asked looking stunned.

"He quickly corrected it but I was kind of touched."

"Well, you have been the only permanent man in our lives. He sees you as his father."

"I wasn't trying to be his dad. I never have tried."

"Really? You have been more of a parent to him than I have. You can do all the guy stuff with him and talk to him about stuff I have no clue about."

"You're a great mom. I cannot beat that."

"You'd be a great dad. You are a great one actually."

"Are you going to let me kiss you even though I'm slightly contagious?"

"I would say no." she said giving him a firm kiss.


	18. One Hot Sexy Night

**Again very M chapter.**

_Hot as a fever, rattling bones.  
I could just taste it, taste it.  
If it's not forever, if it's just tonight.  
Oh, it's still the greatest, the greatest, the greatest._

_Kings of Leon - Sex on Fire_

_March 2017_

"Well now was a very nice place to eat." Carlie said when she opened the door to the apartment with Wendell following behind her.

"It's a good thing I saved up to take you." he said kissing her neck. She giggled at the touch and when they walked into the living room and saw Finn asleep on the couch. "So much for babysitting." he whispered.

"Speaking of which, I'm going to check Will is okay." She walked towards the door to her son's room and she smiled when she saw him asleep breathing slowly, just being totally blissed out. She closed the door quietly before walking back into the living room.

"Should we just leave him or should we -" She stopped when he picked her up bridal style and carried her to the bedroom. "I suppose I got my answer." she said when he put her down.

"Oh shut up while I kiss you." he said pulling her into a passionate kiss. She fell backwards, pulling him with her onto the bed and pulled off his suit jacket. His lips moved to her jaw and he dropped tiny kisses from her chin to behind her ear.

"You're wearing too many clothes." she murmured fiddling with his shirt buttons. He pulled the dress off her body and threw it on the floor.

"Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?" he asked kissing the area between her breasts.

"Every day." she answered.

"That isn't enough." he smiled kissing lower. She sat up warping her arms around his neck while he unhooked her bra. He lay her back down and kissed around her nipple until she let out a whine and he attached his lips to her hardened nub and bit gently and licked the sting away.

"Hm." she moaned.

His lips left her breasts and went down to her stomach where he kissed around her navel. He glanced at her scar from the surgery she had the previous June. It had faded. He kissed the scar and worked his lips lower.

He got to her emerald-green lace panties and he dragged his tongue over the slit which caused Carlie to arch her back at the touch.

The lace just added to the stimulation and her breaths were deep. She muttered something incoherent as he attached his lips to her clitoris, the lace scratching against it making the treatment even more pleasurable.

"Oh - oh my…" she moaned louder, clutching the sheets tightly. He hooked his left arm around her right thigh and used his left hand to pull the underwear aside. His tongue entered her opening and her head rolled back.

"Shit." she said her voice raised an octave. He thrust it in and out a couple of times before he flicked his tongue over her sensitive bud and she shattered, moaning his name and lights blinded the back of her eyes.

He sat up and watched her try to regain her breath. "You alright babe?" he asked.

"Yeah." she answered breathily and gave him a satisfied smile. "That was fantastic." Her hands went to his trouser zip and she managed to get him as she wanted. Wendell's hands went to the panties and she lifted her hips to help pull them off.

Climbing on top of her, his hand went to his bedside table to look for some protection. "Wendell, forget it. Just get inside me." she said cupping his neck to pull him down for a kiss.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"I want you." she whispered huskily and he needed no more goading.

He entered her in one thrust and he gently started to make love to her. He kissed her firmly and he cupped his hand on her buttocks to try to change the angle he was thrusting into her while his other hand was holding him up by her head, the bed squeaking mixed in with their moans and grunts.

The thrusts became faster and he hooked her leg again and lifted slightly, changing the angle they were making love at. She bit her lip as her eyes squeezed shut as she felt her head going lighter

"I don't think I can hold on much longer Carls." Wendell said, his breaths becoming shallow.

Her nails dug in deep into his neck as her own climax began to build and she kissed him again allowing her tongue to enter his mouth and tangle with his.

Wendell gave a few hard thrusts and he collapsed onto top of her, grunting loudly has his climax filled her and Carlie cried as her orgasm took over her again.

He kissed her tenderly cupping her cheek before he rolled off her, both their chests still rising. She turned to look at him and she smiled softly. "That was amazing." she said dazedly. She propped herself up on her elbows. "That took a lot out of you by the looks of it."

"I've still got a lot in me." he replied running his finger between her breasts and navel.

"Do you want me to go on top this time?" she asked raising her eyebrow.

"You, Carlie Edwards, are insatiable, you know that?" he said when she climbed on top of him.

"Yeah, but you would complain if I wasn't." She smirked before leaning down to kiss him.

bxbxbxbxbxb

It was near sunrise when Carlie stirred awake with Wendell spooning her and his arm around her. She lifted his arm from around her and got out of bed grabbing Wendell's shirt from off the floor and put it on. She then grabbed a hair band from the bedside table and tied her long brown hair back.

She walked into the living room, Finn had left and she placed some bread into the toaster. She sat on the counter eating her toast and drinking her tea.

"Morning." a voice said coming up behind her. Wendell gave her a kiss on the neck working towards her ear.

"I suppose you had a good night Mr Bray judging by that smile on your face." she responded, smiling slightly.

"A very good night." he said kissing her head. "I should take you back to bed."

"Or we could just stay here." She smiled before he wrapped his arms around her pulling her closer.

"I like that idea."


	19. Tiny White Socks

_I'm going to pick up the pieces,  
And build a Lego house.  
If things go wrong we can knock it down.  
My three words have two meanings,  
there's one thing on my mind.  
It's all for you._

_Ed Sheeran - Lego House_

_April 2017_

It was day three of the sickness and a part of Carlie had finally convinced herself to go and see what was wrong with her.

Wendell had to leave early since Brennan had taken leave when Booth had been taken to hospital due to a second tumor. She was going to pay a visit that day anyway so she thought she'd check it out just in case it was serious.

"Hey Dr Edwards, what can I do for you today?" the doctor asked when she walked into the room.

"I've been feeling sick these last few days." Carlie answered.

"On the scale of one to ten, how bad is it?"

"Eight."

"Ok, have you experienced any other symptoms?"

"Such as?"

"Well have you had altered tastes or fatigue?"

"A little."

"Ok, Carla this is what we're going to do. I'm going to do a blood and urine test just to see whether my hypothesis is correct."

"Can I ask you not to tell me?"

"Any particular reason?"

"I believe things better when I read them."

"I'll write it down for you."

A couple of hours later the doctor came back with a manlia envelope that held the results.

"Well, we have the results back." the doctor said handing her the envelope. "Are you sure you don't want me to tell you?"

"No I'm fine thank you." she said opening it up. She pulled out the sheet of paper and studied it carefully. When she spotted something her eyes widened and she looked up at the doctor who nodded.

bxbxbxbxbxb

"Hey, how's Booth?" Cam asked as Carlie came onto the platform where Cam was looking at some remains.

"Drugs are knocking him out but he seems to be as good as can be expected." Carlie answered pulling on her lab coat.

"That was a good catch. God knows what would have happened if we didn't know it was a tumor." said Cam.

"I'm no hero. I just sent him to the opticians."

"But still. Anyway, you don't look so good, are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine; I need to see Wendell a minute do you know where he is?"

"Bone storage I think."

"Thanks." She walked away from the platform and towards the storage where she found the person she was looking for. "Hey." she said calmly. She was still trying to find a calm way to tell him what she had found out that morning.

"Hey, is Booth alright?"

"He's fine under the circumstances. Anyway I need to tell you something."

"Ok, as long as you don't have a tumour." she raised her eyebrow. "Ok, bad joke. What is it?"

"Ok… Well you remember about a month ago when we went out and then returned home and… you know for most of the night?" she attempted to explain.

"Yeah?" he asked looking confused.

"I'm pregnant." she said bluntly. Wendell's face went into shock for a moment. "Please say something."

"Wait are you certain?" he asked. She handed him the envelope and he opened it.

"I had felt sick for a couple of days and I thought that while I was in the hospital I would just check it out." She took his hand. "Are you okay?"

"A bit surprised, but did they check everything was okay?"

"It's in the uterus. Don't worry I told them what happened last time and they did an ultrasound to check. It isn't much but it's there. It's a good thing isn't it?" she asked nervously.

"Normal I refrain from using this term because it never sounds right… but this is bloody fantastic." he said smiling before pulling her in for a long kiss. "Did you lock the door?"

"Yep." He kissed her again and lifted her against the wall and she wrapped her legs around her waist.

bxbxbxbxbxb

"How are you feeling?" Wendell asked when they were at home. She was lying against his chest with his hand caressing her stomach.

"Fine now." she answered.

"I have something to show you." he said sitting her up and walking into their bedroom and emerging with a hanger that had tiny white knitted socks on. "I got them the last time. I was going to show you them the day we lost it but decided to save them just in case."

"Oh wow. They're tiny." she said smiling when he gave them to her. "I love them."

"I love you." he said cupping her neck.

"I love you too."


	20. Where is the Heartbeat?

**A week after the last chapter.**

_And you, you knew the hands of the devil.  
And you, kept us awake with wolf teeth,  
Sharing different heartbeats  
In one night._

_José González - Heartbeats_

_April 2017_

"Carls, what's going on?" Wendell asked in a panic when he rushed into Dr Field's office when he found his girlfriend sitting on the bed in a gown.

"Nothing is going on Dr Bray, she's fine. Carla saw some blood in her underwear and she panicked. However considering her last pregnancy her reaction is understandable." Dr Fields explained.

"I'm not wigging out. It could be a molar pregnancy or a spontaneous abortion or something else." said Carlie, clearing panicking.

"Or a blighted ovum." Wendell said placing his hand on Carlie's shoulder.

"Ok, you two need to relax. You are not miscarrying. What you experienced was some spotting. It is totally normal." Dr Fields explained. She pulled a screen towards them and pointed to a little peanut sized object. "That is your baby. There is the yolk sac and you are good. Everything is fine. I'll do some blood work just in case but I suggest you put your feet up for the next few days, no tampons or sex alright? Call if there is any pain."

"I don't see a heartbeat." Carlie said looking at it.

"Sweetie, I think that is normal. You're only seven weeks." said Wendell.

"And look what happened last time at this stage." Carlie responded.

"Wendell's right. You cannot normally see the heartbeat until the eighth week at least." Dr Fields said. "Everything is okay."

"I'm not so sure." Carlie said. "It could be just sitting in there and have no heartbeat. These things happen."

"I have a feeling that we're going to be here a while." Wendell said under his breath.

bxbxbxbxbxb

"Carlie, come on. We've been here for two hours." Wendell said standing in front of the bed.

"I'm sorry, but I have a feeling in my gut that something is wrong." Carlie said.

"Your gut?"

"My metaphorical gut. What if it is a molar pregnancy? I'm not taking chances with this baby."

"You heard the doctor: everything is fine."

"Wendell, I know my body and something feels wrong and don't say I'm being irrational. I'm a hormone salad at the moment, I'm allowed to be irrational."

"Hey, why are you guys here?" Hodgins said opening the door but not entering in case he gets told to get out.

"Hi Hodgins, you can come in, but you are standing near my head." said Carlie.

"She found some blood and freaked. That was two hours ago." Wendell answered when Hodgins walked in standing by Carlie's head.

"You're pregnant?" Hodgins asked. "That is so cool."

"The thing is that I think I'm not anymore." Carlie said.

"She didn't see a heartbeat and she is freaking out. She's seven weeks." said Wendell.

"I can speak for myself you know." she said glaring at him.

"I don't think that anything is wrong Carls." Hodgins said.

"My gut says different and I trust my gut more than you." she said.

"Fair enough." Hodgins said.

"Why are you in the hospital anyway?" Carlie asked.

"Visiting Booth."

"How is he?" she asked.

"He's better."

"Dr Fields said we can come back next week." Wendell said.

"I know what she said. I'm just not sure that something is right here."

"Ok." he said taking a seat next to her bed and he took her hand. "I know you are worried because of what happened last time but everything is different this time. Dr Fields said you are okay and that the baby is okay so can you stop being stupid and come home?"

"Ok, this is the Hardcore Machine." Dr Fields said pulling in another screening machine. "It is very powerful however, it is still difficult to find a heartbeat even with this before the eighth week but I'll try my best."

"Should I go?" Hodgins asked.

"Can you wait outside?" Carlie asked.

"Sure." He left and Dr Fields set Carlie up with the machine.

"You're right, I'm being stupid." she said. "It's too early to find one."

"Look at the screen." Wendell said. She looked and saw the heart monitor and heard a light rhythmic thumping.

"Oh wow." she whispered.

"Are we happy now?" Dr Fields said. They nodded in unison. "I'll give you a moment." she said standing up and leaving.

"Am I allowed back in?" Hodgins asked.

"No because I'm going to cry in a minute." Carlie said. "Stupid hormones." she whispered. "Are you going to cry?" she asked.

"No." Wendell said with a break in his voice.

bxbxbxbxbxb

Later that day, they were at home eating dinner when they decided to tell Will about the baby.

"Will, honey, we kind of need to tell you something important." Carlie said.

"Are you having a baby?" the boy asked taking a sip of water.

"He's good." Wendell whispered.

"Yeah, how did you guess?" Carlie asked.

"Well, when you have something important to tell me, it has to be a baby or someone is dying. Is anyone dying?"

"I may be when your grandfather finds out." Wendell said.

"No one is dying." Carlie said raising her eyebrow at Wendell. "Is this okay?" she asked turning her head to her son.

"Yeah, it's cool." the boy said shrugging his shoulders before returning to his food

"That was kind of easy." Carlie said.

"It's a guy thing." Wendell said.


	21. Star Wars, Caffeine and Distractions

_Sailors fighting in the dance hall,  
Oh man, look at them cavemen go,  
It's the freakiest show.  
Take a look at the law man beating up the wrong guy,  
Oh I wonder if he'll ever know, he's in the best selling show.  
Is there life of Mars?_

_David Bowie - Life on Mars?_

_July 2017_

"Wow, this is why I signed up for this job." Hodgins said demonstrating the corpse to the rest of the team.

"A man in a black suit and helmet?" Brennan asked.

"Someone killed Darth Vader?" Carlie asked.

"Who is Darth Vader?" Brennan asked.

"I'll explain later." the younger woman answered.

"Yes someone killed Darth Vader." Hodgins answered. "Question is was it a Lightsaber or a laser gun?"

"Darth Vader was electrocuted." Carlie said. "Well, he was burnt and later electrocuted."

"I know that Dr Edwards, I was merely making a joke." Hodgins said.

"Can I examine the remains now?" Brennan asked.

"Sure Dr B." Hodgins said. Brennan walked up to the table as did Carlie and they began to peel the black suit away from the remains.

"Well, this is what you expect when you hear burnt and electrocuted. Not that is was the cause of death mind you." Carlie said.

"Why don't you think that it wasn't the cause of death?" Brennan asked.

"The remains are not charred. Plus the smell would be so bad, I'd been running to the bathroom." she answered.

"Dr Brennan." said one of the new interns, Sonny Daye. She was someone who Carlie found a little annoying.

"Yes Miss Daye." Brennan said.

"Is there anything I can get you since you are unable to -"

"I wouldn't say unable." Hodgins said under his breath.

"- do much yourself due to your condition?" the intern asked enthusiastically.

"Miss Daye, I would like to inform you that I am not unable to do things for myself because of pregnancy, contrary to what the FBI says." Brennan explained. "However if you want to be helpful, you could get me a kale and apple juice smoothie. Does anyone want anything?" she asked the other two occupants.

"I'll have coffee." Hodgins said.

"I'll have a Pepsi." Carlie said. This statement caused some raised eyebrows. "Crap no. Banana and strawberry smoothie please."

"Are you sure I don't mind bringing a Pepsi." the intern said.

"Just get the drinks." Hodgins said. The intern left quickly. "This caffeine cut back is killing you isn't it?" he asked the young assistant.

"Try giving up caffeine for nine months. I dare you." she responded.

"Studies show that caffeine is linked to low birth weight and birth defects." Brennan said.

"Well I'm only drinking occasionally so I'm sure that the baby will be fine." Carlie said. Being four months into the pregnancy, the lack of caffeine which she drank a lot of was really starting to hit.

"Will you be fine?" Hodgins asked.

"I'm thinking of my unborn child here." she answered.

bxbxbxbxbxb

Later that day, Carlie was lying on the couch in the seating area with a file on her small bump and her thighs when Wendell came on to pour some coffee.

"Now you are just being mean." she said.

"Why?" he asked rather confused.

"The caffeine. I'm dying here. You are just trying to get me back for preventing you from scratching when you had chicken pox."

"How?"

"You caused this." she said pointing to her bump. "Your sperm your fault."

"You told me to forget the condom."

"Your sperm your fault." she resorted.

"You're cracking. Aren't you?"

"A little. I told that over enthusiastic intern to get me a Pepsi but swiftly changed to a smoothie."

"Sonny?"

"Her name is Sonny Daye? What were her parents thinking?"

"Speaking of which, when do you want to discuss names?"

"Um, when I am not either horny, crabby or caffeine deprived." she muttered. Taking pity on her, he walked over, sat her up and hugged her.

"Less crabby?" he asked.

"A little." she answered.

bxbxbxbxbxb

At home, Carlie was cooking some food, singing softly to herself. Wendell was on the couch listening to her, smiling. She hadn't sang for a while and it always made him smile.

"What?" she asked looking at him.

"You singing. Plus you look beautiful."

"I look fat."

"You don't."

"I'm bigger than I was with Will at this stage. But my uterus isn't as firm as back then so this was inevitable."

"Listen to me, you are not fat." he said getting and wrapping his arms around her waist interlinking his hands on her rounded midsection. "You are still the woman I met and fell in love with: sexy, beautiful and confident."

"I'm not that confident. I hate speaking and singing in public." He kissed her neck. "I'm trying to cook."

"I know." he said kissing her neck again. He played with the bottom of her dark green shirt dress and her head fell back onto his shoulder.

"Now you are just trying to distract me." she said.

"That was the plan." he whispered in her ear. Turning her head she placed a soft kiss on his lips and turned the oven down.

"And that plan has worked." She took his hand leading him to their bedroom. If she didn't feel sexy enough then he was going to prove that she was to him.


	22. The Letter

_I like it in the city when the air is so thick and opaque.  
I love to see everybody in short skirts, shorts and shades.  
I like it in the city when two worlds collide.  
You get the people and the government,  
Everybody taking different sides._

_Adele - Hometown Glory_

_August 2017_

Carlie and Wendell decided to find out the sex of the baby so they could be organised for when it came.

It was a girl. A little girl. Wendell couldn't get over the fact he was having a daughter. Carlie was just as pleased. As was a certain ten-year-old who had his promise kept.

Another surprise was Wendell finally standing up to Dr A. Edwards and the fact that he negotiated with his father-in-law to be civil for Carlie, Will and (since he thougthe baby's sake.

"Do I make you happy?" he asked when they were in bed that night.

"Of course you do." she answered placing her hand on his forearm. "Do I?"

"Yeah, you always have." He kissed her shoulder lightly and wrapped his arm around her so his hand was cupping her stomach. The baby gave a kick to the pressure of the hand and they smiled.

They had talked about names for her. She liked the name Georgia but he preferred Grace. It was a bickering match between the two of them but once they found a name that worked then it wouldn't be a problem anymore. Booth joked that they should call her Papaya. He got slapped over the head by Angela as a result.

bxbxbxbxbxb

Carlie had gone quiet for the last few days. Wendell thought it was because she was tired but when he saw her curled up into a ball on the couch one night looking at a letter.

"Baby what's wrong?" he asked crouching in front of her. She handed him the letter and he read it carefully. "You went to an adoption agency?"

"Yeah. This was before I became pregnant. They managed to find my birthmother." she said sitting up clutching her bump.

"That's good isn't it?"

"Look at the address I need to contact." He looked down at the letter and spotted the main flaw.

"You'll have to go to London?"

"I'm not sure whether I should go or not."

"Do you want to?"

"Wendell, look at me. I'm nearly six months pregnant."

"That never stopped you before." he said pushing some of her hair out of her face.

"It would be best to get it over and done with."

"If that is what you want. Do you want me to come with you?"

"This is something I have to do myself." she said cupping his cheek.

bxbxbxbxbxb

_September 2017_

Carlie had gone to London on her own. Wendell was left looking after Will while she was there. At first it seemed like the craziest idea in the world but soon they settled into the temporary routine but that was the normal routine only without Carlie.

The one thing he didn't expect was a phone call and hearing the sobs of his girlfriend.

_"If I have ever said I hate you then I take it back." _

I don't think you ever had. Not seriously anyway. You alright Honey?"

"_No. I went to see my birth mother today."_

"It didn't go well I assume."

"_It was worse than you could have imagined." _

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"_How long do you have?"_

"For you: all the time in the world."

"_Ok, so I went to see the contact yesterday. We walked in a nearby park where she told me the story of Jessica Pillkins. I was shocked because it turned out I had a sister, Clare. She had died of neglect aged four and Jessica had been sent to prison and was released not long ago. After debating all night on whether to see her, I went to the house today. I pretty much explained who I was, she offered me tea to which I declined since it makes me sick and I told her about myself a bit."_ She paused a moment. _"She told me the reason she gave me up was because she didn't want me and that she was too young."_

"What about Clare?"

"_Clare was about five years after me. My father had died not long after and Jessica had met someone. They drank, Clare was forgotten and malnourished. I had to ask, I couldn't look at her knowing what she had did. She explained that my mom went to London with her and went back to Stratford with me. I said she must have hated us. She said she didn't hate us, but she didn't love us. As a mother I should know that I cannot have one without the other."_

"I don't know what to say."

"_I knew what to say to her. I told her she was a monster. After I left, I cried and I felt sick."_

"I should have came with you. You shouldn't have gone on your own."

"_No, I had to do this myself. Can I talk to my son a minute?"_

"Yeah." He passed the phone over to the boy who was watching television. "It's your mom." he whispered.

"Hey Mom."

"_Hey sweetheart, how was your day?"_

"It was good, I helped with an experiment."

"_That sounds fun."_

"You alright Mom, you sound upset?"

"_I'm fine, I just miss you guys and I needed to hear your voices. You know I love you right?"_

"Yeah, I love you too Mom."

"_And if anyone hurts you, they'll have me to answer to."_

"I get it. I get hurt, you get mad. Do you want me to pass the phone back?"

"_Yeah please, I love you and I'll see you soon."_

"I love you too." The phone scuffles again and is returned to her partner's voice.

"You okay?" he asks.

"_Can you do me one favor?"_ she asks.

"Anything."

"_When you pick me up from the airport and hold me until I tell you to let go?"_

"Of course. How is the baby?"

"_She's fine; I think she misses your voice. She hasn't stopped moving."_

"I miss you both. Do you want me to complain about my day? Take your mind off what happened?"

"_Sure, why not?"_ She laughed despite having the tears and sadness in her voice. _"I love you. I never will stop loving you."_

"I love you as well. Could never give you up."

bxbxbxbxbxb

When she got back home, Wendell hugged her like he promised. They probably stood there for half an hour in that airport before they finally went home. He made sure she got some sleep and something to eat.

When she went back to work the next day, she had felt dizzy. She thought it was the jet lag but while trying to grab something while using a ladder she passed out and fell. At the hospital she was diagnosed with anaemia and had to be put on bed rest because the fall had nearly sent her into premature labor.

She didn't like the idea but she had to think about the baby more than herself. The little kicks that she gave felt at comfort to her mother. It had been the roughest week of her life and she was glad to have that little comfort.


	23. Final Stretch

_So just give it one more try,  
To a lullaby  
And turn this up on the radio.  
If you can hear me now,  
I'm reaching out,  
To let you know that you're not alone.  
And if you can't tell,  
I'm scared as hell,  
'Cause I can't get you on the telephone.  
So just close your eyes,  
Oh, honey here comes a lullaby.  
Your very own lullaby._

_Nickelback - Lullaby _

_November 2017_

The anaemia just got worse. Carlie had been given iron tablets but they hadn't kicked in. She was beyond exhausted and just felt like death.

So in a bid to cheer her up, Wendell decided to decorate the baby's room while she took a long nap. Since Cam had given him a pay rise around the end of October he managed to get a better stroller than the one they could both afford and managed to get some paint and a crib for his unborn daughter along with some other furniture but with the help of Hodgins. He had managed to get half the room done when he pulled the crib in and tried to set it up. Without the instructions.

"Damn it." he said when he hit his hand of one of the pieces of wood. Building a crib could not be that hard.

He had helped with the Booth Residence when it looked like an accident waiting to happen and had been dragged in to finish the mess (emphasis on mess) that Hodgins and Booth did with the Hodgins Twin's room. Leaving the pieces of wood on the floor he decided to check on Carlie to see if she wanted anything.

He couldn't help but smile when he saw her asleep with her hair all tossed on the pillow. Like the morning after their first time.

"Stop looking at me, it's weird." she murmured.

"Sorry." he said sitting on the bed next to her. "How are you feeling?"

"Like shit." she answered bluntly. "I'm exhausted, my stomach feels tight and as solid as a brick, she won't stop kicking me and it is extremely sore under my ribs." She opened her eyes and rubbed them slightly. "I'm complaining too much aren't I?"

"More than Dr B and less than Angela." he replied touching her leg that was underneath the covers. Having seen his friends go through the similar pain she was in, he was understanding.

"That makes me feel better." she said smiling slightly. "You must be so bored without me to entertain you."

"Not really. Do you want anything?"

"Food."

"Any preference?"

"Cheese and tomato Panini and a blueberry muffin."

"You don't like tomatoes."

"The deli down the road does one with tomato sauce. It's like a pizza sandwich."

"You want me to go to a deli?"

"Yeah."

"Ok, you're the mommy and you need me. Will you be alright for twenty minutes?"

"I'm under house arrest I cannot go anywhere."

"Ok." he whispered giving her a quick kiss. "I'll be back soon."

bxbxbxbxbxb

Later once he had gotten back with the food, he sat with her and ate with her.

"I've decided that ladders were made by some homicidal maniac." Carlie said taking a bite out of the Panini.

"What?" he asked looking confused.

"Well, that ladder wasn't secured properly."

"You passed out and fell. I'm actually surprised that we didn't lose her."

"So it was my fault?"

"No. You didn't know you were going to pass out but it didn't help that you were climbing ladders in your condition."

"I bet you were freaking out like crazy."

"Well yeah. I almost lost you once. I don't think I could cope without you."

"I'm sorry I scared you."

"Don't worry about it. I'm just glad you and Pip are alright."

"We need to actually figure out a name for her."

"What about Pippa?"

"That's short for Philippa. Not bad."

"But?"

"But nothing. I may consider it. However I need to ask you why you left her room in such a state?"

"That was supposed to be a surprise."

"The mess?"

"No, I was decorating it to cheer you up. Except I cannot find the instructions for the crib."

"So you decided to build it without the instructions?"

"It didn't look that hard."

"Neither did the baby walker and look how that turned out. Besides the instructions are one the kitchen table."

"I looked there."

"You didn't look hard enough then."

bxbxbxbxbxb

Having found the instructions on the kitchen table, he managed to finish the crib and the rest of the room. When he managed to get her up to show her, she was shocked because it looked amazing.

"Oh my God." she said covering her mouth.

"Is it bad?" he asked.

"No. It's amazing." she said hugging him.

"Thanks." he said hugging her back.

It was later in the day when they decided to have a bath together. She lay against his muscular chest and he wrapped his arms around her waist. The water made the bump less tight and she seemed more relaxed than earlier.

"Feel any better?" he asked kissing her shoulder.

"A little. I feel a little comforted." she answered. "Here in your arms." his hand stroked over her nearly eight month old midsection, the response being a kick. He looked at her body and saw the changes. Her breasts had grown a cup side from a C to a D cup, there was a very prominent Linea nigra coming from her navel and her hair was thicker.

"You still look gorgeous." he said lightly pecking her neck.

"You have to say that."

"When have I ever lied to you?"

"Only six more weeks until I go back to normal. And we have a baby."

"If she is anything like you then she'll be beautiful and amazing."


	24. Introducing Molly Bray

_Baby, it's been a long time waiting,  
Such a long, long time.  
And I can't stop smiling,  
No I can't stop now.  
And do you hear my heart beating,  
Ah can you hear that sound.  
'Cause I can't help crying,  
And I won't look down._

_Embrace - Gravity_

_December 2017_

Molly Louise Bray, born 10:26 weighing six pounds nine ounces on the 8th December 2017. Two weeks before she was due.

It had been a rough night for the pair of them and Hodgins, Sweets, Booth and Finn as well as the other Squinterns. Lisa had asked Carlie to help her with an article which took them to a boxing ring - coincidently the same one the boys were at. They then ended up at a party in which Finn nearly drowned and while Carlie was looking after him, her water broke. Only they were locked in the summer-house and it took them an hour to get out and by the time Carlie and Wendell were got to the hospital, she had already dilated 6cm.

Despite the tiredness and refusal of drugs and the death threats to Wendell, Carlie managed to get through it. Molly was perfect. She had a blonde tuff of hair on her head, bright blue eyes like her dad, Wendell's chin and Carlie's nose.

The name just jumped out at them. When they went past Maggie, Carlie had thought of the variations of Margret. There was Meg - Megan didn't sound too bad -, Peggy maybe but for some reason Molly they could agree on without bickering or nitpicking. The baby even approved of the name herself.

Currently she was in a cot beside the bed in a pink cap and white baby gro, wrapped in a blanket. Carlie was asleep due to the exhaustion and while Wendell was just as tired as she was, he couldn't stop looking at the infant who had her tiny hands up by her tiny ears.

He was a dad. Well he kind of already was but now he was biologically a dad. When Wendell saw Molly for the first time, his heart surged and he cried a little.

"I'm beginning to think that I'm getting replaced." Carlie said waking up.

"I just cannot stop looking at her." he replied smiling at his girlfriend.

"You need some sleep."

"You just pushed a baby out, you need it more than I do." All he got was a shrug of the shoulders. "I take that as I don't care."

"How is she?"

"Sleeping like a baby."

"Seems like an easy life being a baby. All she has to do is eat and sleep."

"Bit like Finn really." She laughed at the joke. "How are you feeling?"

"Bit sore but I'll live. You looked as though you were going to faint at some point"

"I think I did for a moment when she was slipping out. All covered in jello."

"Vernix. Not jello." she said rolling her eyes and the baby fussed in her cot. "Someone needs feeding. Funny how we were just talking about food and then she gets hungry. She's definitely your child." He handed her Molly who immediately latched on, suckling greedily.

"Yeah, definitely my daughter." Wendell said playing with the baby's hand. "You did great. Brilliant in fact. Aside from threatening me if I had sex with you again."

"I was in pain caused by your sperm; but you were great as well."

"Well someone had to be the voice of reason."

bxbxbxbxbxb

A week later, everyone was home and it was a bit tiring. Molly liked to have her night feed at one in the morning, three in the morning and five in the morning.

"She is really adorable." Brennan said when she popped in for a visit since they hadn't spent much time together since Brennan had her son, Harry, four months previously and she had bought him along in the stroller.

"You wouldn't think that at three in the morning crying her lungs out." Carlie said cradling her sleeping newborn. "But thanks. Harry is getting really big. What are you feeding him?"

"He has a Booth appetite. But what do you expect."

"True." She pulled Molly's pink hat down slightly.

"How are you feeling?"

"Weepy. The excess hormones and the exhaustion have been making me cry a lot."

"I understand that."

"This is the only time Molls will sleep for more than two hours. I don't think the eighteen hours rule has extended to her yet. Mind you she used to kick about at night."

"Why don't you place her in the bassinet so you can get some sleep?"

"Because she'll freak if I do. Molls is very specific about where she likes to sleep. she prefers to be cuddled in someone's arms all day and all night. She goes in the bassinet at night though."

"Does she have a preference to who cuddles her?"

"Me during the day, Wendell in the evenings - one-week-old and a total daddy's girl - and Will just before she goes to sleep."

"How has Will taken to Molly?"

"Quite well actually. He's been nagging me since he was two to have a sibling so I wasn't expecting mass jealous rage."

"He's a very good kid. I couldn't imagine him throwing a fit."

"Neither could I. They're both great." she said her head falling to the side sleepily.

"I'm going to leave you so you can get some rest." Brennan said standing up taking the break off the stroller.

"Ok, say bye to Harry." Carlie replied waving the baby's arm. "I'll see you later."

"Bye." Brennan said pushing the stroller out.

"Hey you." Carlie said to Molly softly. She stood up and placed her in the bassinet which thankfully the baby didn't fuss about. "I love you, I really do, but you have to stop waking Daddy and me up during the night. Once is fine. Two isn't so bad, three is bordering on ridiculous. But I'm willing to deal with it for you ."


	25. Feels Like the Right Time

_So excuse me forgetting  
But these things I do  
See I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue  
Anyway the thing is  
What I really mean  
Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen_

_Ellie Goulding - Your Song_

_February 2018_

By the time Molly was two months old, everyone had settled into a routine. Carlie had gone back to work part-time since she didn't want to be the mother who was so tired to see her children after a full day of work. Molly went into day care while both parents were at work.

Managing a ten-year-old and a two-month-old at the same time was difficult especially since one needed the attention more than the other but Will was more than happy to help out with Molly. He was the only one who could get her to go to sleep at night.

The one thing that hadn't been expected was the wave of unconditional love Wendell had for his daughter. He knew that he would love her when he saw her in the twelve week scan. He loved Will like he was his own and would die for both of them.

Even though she was only a couple of months old, Molly was a total daddy's girl. His new favorite time of day was coming home to find his two favorite girls on the couch together, the baby's soft petal like lips suckling on the sweet milk being provided.

They were more like an old married couple rather than young parents. They hadn't resumed intercourse since Molly was born. Wendell wasn't going to push her at any point because he wanted Carlie to feel comfortable and with breasts that could leak at any moment and still feeling a little sore, that wasn't going to be possible.

One night while he was watching her sleep, a small smile crept onto his face. He wanted to marry her but did she want to marry him? He loved her, she loved him. They were bound together by a small human being and he would be more than happy to remain in co-habitation with her.

"I'm going to do it." he whispered.

bxbxbxbxbxb

Wendell glanced at the rings set in front of him.

_'There is no way in hell that I can afford any of these. Not if I want to eat for the next month. But this is the woman who has just had my baby and who I love very much.'_

"Need any help?" the saleswoman asked "She must be someone really special."

"Yeah."

"Is she an outgoing woman or does she prefer low key?"

"She prefers low key. Class rather than garish. Hence why I am not getting the biggest rock I can find."

"I think I may have the right ring."

bxbxbxbxbxb

Later that evening when they managed to get both kids to sleep - Molly being the more stubborn one - the couple reclined on the couch, her head on his lap.

"Remember when we were rarely exhausted?" Carlie asked.

"A little." he answered. He raked his hands through her hair. "How was your day?"

"Um, well, I got spat up on, loads of crying and changes. How was your day?"

"I had a dead person to look at."

"No change there yet. Oh my God, when did we turn into an old married couple?"

"No idea." he said smiling. "Is it a bad thing?"

"Not the married part. The old part I am concerned about. I'm twenty-seven. We should be snogging all the time not giving each other a kiss on the cheek at the end of the day."

"So you wouldn't mind if I asked you to marry me?"

"I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Would that answer your question?"

"Yeah." He sat her up and got off the couch and got on one knee. He pulled out the ring he bought earlier and opened the box revealing a white gold ring with four clear diamonds.

"Oh my God." she said looking stunned at the ring.

"Will you marry me?"

"Yeah, I will." she said pulling him up and kissed him. He smiled and kissed her back. He flipped over so she was straddling his lap.

"I love you so much." he said between kisses. Her hands went to his shirt buttons and he let go of her lips for a moment. "Are you sure?"

"Feels like the right time. I love you too." she responded continuing until she pulled the shirt off him.

bxbxbxbxbxb

"It's a beautiful ring." Carlie said lying on Wendell's chest looking at the ring. "Must have cost a lot of money."

"You're worth it." he said kissing her damp forehead his fingers stroking her bare back. "How are you feeling? Did it hurt?"

"I would have alerted you if I was in pain. It was perfect." she said kissing his lips softly. A wail was heard from their daughter's room.

"I'll get her." he said kissing her forehead again before grabbing his boxers of the floor and pulled them on. "She's probably just hungry."

"Bottle's in the fridge."

He walked out of their room and into the infant's room where he found her thrashing her arms and legs.

"Hey, Molls." he said cradling her. "What do you want something to eat?" he asked trying to sooth her by bouncing up and down. Once he had sterilised her bottle he sat with her on the couch as she suckled.

Looking into Molly's blue eyes, he remembered one of the last things Vincent said to him before he died.

"_One day you are going to meet the woman of your dreams. You will marry her and have lots of blonde haired children. And you'll be happy. Whereas for me I'll have a string of loveless relationships with no real meaning."_

"Your Uncle Vincent was right. I am happy." he said.


	26. Date Night

_I love the way she fills her clothes.  
She looks just like them girls in vogue.  
I love the way she plays it cool.  
I think that she is beautiful._

_Scouting for Girls - She's so Lovely_

_May 2018_

"So how's being a daddy?" Hodgins asked when he and Wendell were in the park with Michael, Damon and Kathy playing in the play part and Molly in the stroller asleep.

"Tiring but -"

"You wouldn't change her for the world. You're way too corny. But I always said that I wouldn't so I guess I'm corny. You look like you could do with a night out."

"Neither Carls or I have been out in five months. Mind you the last time we went out was the night Molls was born."

"That was a really bizarre night."

"Well that is what you get when you go to a party of someone Booth has pissed off."

"Tell you what, how about you two go out and Ange and I will look after the kids?"

"Are you sure Angela won't mind?"

"This is Angela we're talking about. She'll be cool with it."

bxbxbxbxbxb

Later that evening, Wendell had dragged her to a bowling.

"Why did you take me here, you know I'm not a good bowler?" She said tying her shoes up.

"Because I am a bad bowler and it'll be fun." He said picking up the ball and got ready to toss it.

"You'll never get it." She said.

"I know." He rolled the ball and hit about four pins. "Told you."

"Yeah that was a bit pitiful."

"I still have another go." He bowled again and hit three pins this time.

"Seven, not bad."

"Your turn madam." He said handing her a lighter ball. She did her round and got eight. "You said you were bad."

"I may have lied." She smiled cockily. "How about a bet? Whoever wins this game goes on top tonight." she said wrapping her arms around his neck and kissed him firmly.

"Deal." He said picking his ball up. He turned and saw her with her phone. "Carls they'll be fine."

"I know I was checking just in case."

"I know miss them as well." He said throwing the next round. "But I have a surprise for you tonight so relax."

"Oh what surprise would that be Wendell?" She asked with a curious smile.

"You'll have to find out." He replied handing her the ball.

bxbxbxbxbxb

Later that evening, Wendell had wrapped a scarf around Carlie's eyes and had led her to a rather nice hotel but had left her in the lobby while he checked them in and led her to their room for the night.

"Wendell, come on." She said as Wendell untied the scarf and revealed a suite and her mouth dropped open. "Oh my God. How?"

"Hodgins lent me his card for the night. Hungry?"

"No. If I hadn't eaten those fries at the ally then I would."

"Thirsty then?" He said holding up a champagne bottle.

"I cannot drink I'm still breastfeeding." She said.

"One drink won't hurt and by tomorrow it should be out of your system." He said handing her a glass.

"Ok, one. I'm staying sober." They sat on the couch and she lay against him. "What is all this for any way?"

"I thought that we could spend some time together on our own. Something that we haven't had for a while."

"Fair enough." She said. Carlie pulled her phone out again and looked at the photo on her wallpaper. It was one she snuck of Wendell asleep on the couch with Molly on his chest also asleep and she thought it was too adorable not to take a photo of. He had no idea about the photo.

"You alright?" He asked kissing the top of her head.

"Yeah. I was just checking. Seems weird without them."

"I know. So we have a bathtub and a shower and a large bed and there is a heated pool upstairs. What do you want to do first. We have the whole night."

"Bathtub. Those shoes made my feet sore." She said standing up and removed her black leather jacket and then her top. "You joining me Dr Bray?" She asked offering her hand.

"I'll run it." He said getting up and walking into the bathroom.

bxbxbxbxbxb

After the bath they dried off together and sat in the white bathrobes and watched a film on the wide-screen television in the living room. She smiled crookedly at him and scooted closer and nibbled on his earlobe.

"What are you doing?" He asked curiously.

"Just sit back and relax." She whispered huskily in his ear. She pecked tiny kisses on his neck while moving her hand lower tickling his inner thigh. She straddled his hips and kissed him quickly before moving her kisses down his body, undoing the bathrobe along the way until she was on her knees in front of him

"Now I get what you are doing." He said when he felt her hot breath on the root of his cock. His head went back when he felt her lips around him. Wendell gave an inverted groan when her upper lip dragged along the vein and she licked around the head. His breaths became deeper and laced her fingers with his, squeezing it.

"Oh my God." He said squeezing his eyes closed. "Baby I cannot hold on if you do that." Her mouth became quicker and wetter.

'_I'm the luckiest son of a bitch in the world.' H_e thought. Carlie's hand fisted him at the base and he bit his lip as Wendell began to uncoil.

"Ah - I think I'm - I'm so close Carls." He said between gritted teeth. He looked at her brown hair splayed over his thighs and squeezed her hand tighter along with his eyes.

She hummed against him and that caused his release. "You alright?" Her voice asked when he came out of his haze and he found her on his lap again.

"You are amazing." He said kissing her. Wendell undid her robe and it fell to the floor in front of them.

"Have you got anything?" She asked letting go. She couldn't go on the pill because she was breastfeeding so they had to stick with condoms to prevent another pregnancy.

"In my wallet." He said kissing her again and picked her and carried her to the bedroom and lay her on the bed. Quickly he went to the bathroom to grab the wallet and pulled out the condom and returned to her, ready and waiting.

"I believe I won the bet." She smiled and Wendell rolled over flat on his back. He quickly rolled the condom on and she lowered herself onto him and felt him tense. Placing her hands either side of him (her right by his head and the left by his right arm) she slowly rocked her hips back and forth.

"Baby." He whispered closing his eyes and placing his hands on her hips. "You're so wet."

"Well, you surrendering to me did turn me on slightly." She smirked kissing him firmly. Her hand went through his hair and his hand moved to her lower back as he met her rocks from below.

"You're so sexy." He groaned as she kissed him again moaning herself. Her hips moved faster and she sat up rolling her head back. Wendell's hand went to cup her breast and in a bid to drive her crazy, attached his mouth to the dusky nipple.

"Oh." She moaned feeling his wet mouth. "Baby you have to be careful." She said.

"I know." He said. "I don't really care if I'm honest." He sucked and nipped slightly. She bit her lip and quickened the pace of the rocks and warped her arms around his neck. He looked into her eyes and kissing her lips softly.

Carlie breaths became quick and high-pitched and her eyes squeezed shut. Wendell moved his mouth to her ear and whispered, "Come for me."

Her eyes flew open and she made a sound that was either a loud gasp or a moan, her body shook and her head dropped to his shoulder. The tightening triggered Wendell's own climax and he held her tight as he came. He lay back down with her still on top of him and she lifted her head gently as he kissed her shoulder, neck and finally cheek.

"Hey." She said dazedly, her eye lids heavy with either lust or tiredness.

"Hey yourself." He said pushing some of her hair out of her face. She cupped his cheek and kissed him tenderly before laying beside him and pulling up the sheets to cover them. "I love you." He whispered, a blanket of sleep overcoming him.

"I love you too." She replied.


	27. Accepting

_Made a wrong turn once or twice.  
Dug my way out, blood and fire.  
Bad decisions, that's alright.  
Welcome to my silly life._  
_Mistreated, misplaced, misunderstood,  
Miss 'No way, it's all good'  
It didn't slow me down.  
Mistaken, always second guessing,  
Underestimated, look I'm still around._

_Pink - Fuckin' Perfect_

_September 2018_

Molly had broken in her first tooth and as a result she screamed no stop for a whole day. It was only when they finally got her to sleep, that they collapsed on the bed, out of exhaustion and their clothes damp from the tears and drool.

"Maybe we should wait until she is older and less likely to scream the house down before we get married." Carlie said resting her head on Wendell's chest.

"I hope she won't be like that forever." He said.

"Molls has a few more teeth to break through."

"So more days like this." He said under his breath.

"It sucks doesn't it?" Her phone rang with the familiar tune of Star Trekkin.

"You need to change your ringtone."

"Not a chance." She whispered answering the phone. "Hello… Dad, hi... I'm great… He's good… Molls' fine."

"I assume I wasn't asked after." Wendell mumbled and she glared at him.

"Yeah, Wendell's great." She said. "Not meaning to be rude, but why are you calling this late?" She paused a moment while Wendell placed soft kisses on her neck which she shoved him off. "Friday? Well, I'm not at work so I guess I could come to lunch. but I'll have Molly with me… Because he has to work and babies are banned from the lab… Not my rules… Right I'll see you there then." She hung up the phone and placed it on the bedside table.

"I assume you are going to dinner with your dad then."

"You are not coming this time."

"Why?"

"Because while he finally respects you and accepts us as a couple, he still doesn't particularly like you." She said.

"But you are taking Molls with you?"

"I'll try but that second tooth is breaking through though so I'm not sure unless I give her a dummy to suck on then she'll be happy."

bxbxbxbxbxb

"So which one?" Carlie asked Wendell holding up two dresses, a monochrome one with a black skirt and a black one with flowers on. It was Friday and she was getting ready.

"The monochrome." He answered.

"Ok." she said looking at her engagement ring.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"You know I have a bad habit of not telling my father important things soon. Well, I haven't told him we're engaged yet and I'm worried."

"Carla you cannot keep worrying every time you are going to see your father. Tony seems more relaxed now than he was when I met him."

"Don't call him that." She said though smiling slightly. "You are just too perfect you know that."

"I have been told." He said pulling her into a kiss.

"You need to go to work to support this family." She said but continued to kiss him.

"I know but we have time." He said. A wail broke them up and Carlie quickly ran to the infant's room and returned with Molly in her arms. "I think she got spooked by a bad dream." She tried to sooth her daughter by rubbing her back. "It's alright sweetie. Mommy's here." She cooed.

"Um… is anyone taking me to school?" Will asked standing in the doorway.

"Yeah, hold on buddy." Wendell said. "Call me to tell me how goes." He said to Carlie giving her a quick kiss. "Love you. Bye Molls. Behave." He rubbed the back of his daughter's blonde head before walking away.

"Love you Will." She yelled after her son.

"Love you too Mom." He yelled back. Carlie rolled her eyes.

"You'll be too much of a Daddy's girl to not give us a hug when you are your brother's age." She said to Molly who was now settled but was still awake. "Come one sweetheart let's get you changed and dressed ready to see grandpa."

bxbxbxbxbxb

In the restaurant, Carlie had sat Molly in a high chair and Molly seemed preoccupied with her fingers and suckled on her pacifier.

"Hey Dad." Carlie said when her father sat in front of her.

"Hi Carla." He answered. "Why is it every time I see you, you look frightened?"

"I'm getting married." She said quickly. "Wendell proposed to me seven months ago and I said yes."

"You aren't pregnant again are you?"

"No. Definitely not, and it wasn't because of Molls either. We've been together for well over six years and I don't think I could imagine being with anyone else."

"You said that about James."

"Yeah but I didn't think he'd get blown up did I." She said quietly looking at Molly who was looking around while batting her blue eyes. "I was severely depressed after that but you never noticed. You were always too busy to notice."

"Are you still depressed?"

"I was after a friend of mine died and when I had that ectopic pregnancy a couple of years ago." She replied fiddling with the thread bracelet Daisy had given her years before and Carlie had kept it as a reminder of the late intern. "It wasn't as bad because I had Wendell looking after me. He was patient, caring and gentle with me and my highly fragile state."

"I'm sorry but you have never told me anything, and I know I became reclusive after your mother died, but you knew you knew you could come to me anytime."

"I know but I wanted to but you never made it easy. I was so frighten when I found out I was having Will and I thought you would send me straight to the abortion clinic so that is why I hid it for ages so I was too late to have one."

"You know I would not force you into something you didn't want to."

"Then why did you try to control my life to the point where I refused to listen?"

"Because I didn't want you to become your birth mother. She was stupid enough to get herself pregnant at a young age and then neglect her own child. Then over night you changed and you told me you were pregnant and I saw red. Wendell seems to have you settled and I know he loves you. I will admit that I sort of like him."

"You like Wendell: the guy who you thought was no good for me because he had no money? Halla-flipping-lulah." She said taking a sip of her wine which she could now get away with since she stopped breast-feeding Molly.

"I know that I haven't been as accepting of you two as a couple because I thought he couldn't support you, but I'm willing to help you out with this wedding thing."

"What? Seriously?" She asked stunned. "That is great. Thank you Dad. Thank you very much."

bxbxbxbxbxb

"Hey Honey, how did it go?" Wendell asked when Carlie came into their apartment pushing in Molly's stroller.

"Dad offered to pay for the wedding." She said unbuckling Molly from the stroller and handed the snoozing baby to Wendell. "Don't drop her."

"You're kidding right?"

"No I told him you and I are getting married and after a lengthy discussion he said he'd offer to help pay for it."

"That is… great. I thought he'd freak at the prospect and I'd end up in deep, deep shit."

"He actually sort of likes you know. You seem to have managed to ground me and be the best bloody boyfriend in the world." She said kissing him passionately and he returned gratefully.

"So Will is at his friend's, hows about we get her to bed and…" He was cut off by her lips again and they began to walk towards Molly's room when Molly let out a cry and they broke free. "I knew she wasn't going to make it easy on us."


	28. Looking For Something Dumb to Do

_A moment, a love,  
A dream, a laugh,  
A kiss, a cry,  
Our rights, our wrongs._

_The Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition_

_January 2019_

'_Don't freak out.' _Wendell thought when he saw the ring on his not-anymore girlfriend's hand. It was completely obvious what had happened last night.

"Hey." Carlie said waking up rubbing her head with her left hand. "How much did we drink last night?"

"Enough to… look at your hand." Wendell said and Carlie looked at her right hand. "Other hand Carls." She looked at her left hand.

"Oh."

bxbxbxbxbxb

_Twelve Hours Earlier_

"_Ok, so where do we put your Uncle Phil?" Carlie asked lying flat on her stomach with a pencil in her hand and a writing pad on the bed._

"_Preferably not next to your Aunt Sophia." Wendell said handing her the whiskey bottle._

"_Oh my God. Why is this so bloody hard?" _

"_Because our families are weird." Wendell answered. "Why we have to make it big I don't know."_

"_Me neither. Maybe we should just screw it and go to a wedding chapel here and do it." _

"_Are you being serious?"_

"_No of course not. Unless you want to."_

"_I would marry you tomorrow if it didn't mean dragging all our friends and relatives out to D.C. to do this."_

"_You know what, let's just do it because this is about you and me and the fact we love each other and we don't need to prove it to anyone else but ourselves." Carlie said getting up and waved her arms._

"_You're drunk." Wendell said wrapping his arms around her waist._

"_I know what I want to do and I want to marry you today Wendell Bray."_

bxbxbxbxbxb

"Oh?" Wendell asked in confusion.

"Yeah, oh. We got drunk and went to the Chapel of Love and made it official." Carlie answered.

"And you are not freaking out? How are you not remotely freaked out by this?" Wendell asked as Carlie pulled on his shirt.

"I don't know, maybe because I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you. Like what I told you last night." Carlie said. "You wanted to do this properly didn't you? Not just an impulsion fuelled by alcohol." She smiled understandingly.

"Pretty much."

"Well, for one we are not a normal couple. Marrying in a church would never have happened. When was the last time we did something crazy?"

"Maybe you are right."

"You know I'm right." said Carlie wrapping her arms round his neck and kissed him.

bxbxbxbxbxb

"_Carls, wait are you sure you want to do this?" Wendell asked once he and Carlie arrived at the Chapel of Love._

"_Yeah, I'm sure. Are you certain?"_

"_If it means spending my life with you then yes." answered Wendell kissing her forehead._

"_Have you got the rings?"_

"_Always have them with me baby." He said._

bxbxbxbxbxb

"This is a great ring. Slight problem though." Carlie said. "It keeps slipping off. Isn't this your grandmother's ring right?"

"Well, your hand is more slender than my grandmother's."

"In other words, I have baby hands."

"Not baby hands. It's just she had man hands."

"I have an idea." She unclipped her necklace and slipped her ring onto it. "Better."

"Looks great on you." Wendell said as he kissed her bare shoulder. "So how are we going to tell the others?"

"We could tell them today but I assume after Booth and Hodgins' shenanigans last night, they won't remember tomorrow because they have massive hangovers. Compared to them, we're sober."

Wendell smiled softly at his wife and cupped her cheek before kissing her softly. "I love you Mrs Bray." He whispered.

"Oh my God. I'm Mrs Carla Jane Bray." Carlie said giggling slightly as she was rolled on top of her husband. "I love you too Dr Bray." She stroked her thumb over his cheekbone before they made love for the rest of the morning.


	29. The Late Honeymoon in Barcelona

_So come on, spin me around,  
Now I don't wanna go home.  
'Cause when you hold me like this you know my heart skips, skips a beat.  
I know I should, but I can't leave it alone,  
And when you hold me like this that's when my heart skips, skips a beat._

_Olly Murs - Heart Skips a beat_

_April 2020_

It was a warm April evening. Will was in his room doing whatever thirteen year old boys do, Molly was occupied with some building blocks and Carlie was trying to work out when she had booked a vacation to Barcelona.

_Adults: 2. Barcelona, Spain._

She read those four words again and again. Then it sort of clicked. It was supposed to be their honeymoon destination. However, in the year since they got married, work and children had distracted them and having put the idea of a honeymoon aside. Having not had a decent night sleep for two years, they had forgotten to cancel the booking.

"What are you looking at?" Wendell asked when he walked into the kitchen, immediately getting bombarded by Molly.

"I just got an e-mail from an Airline company telling us we still have that honeymoon to Barcelona." She explained turning the laptop towards him. He looked at the screen and then to her.

"I thought that you cancelled it."

"So did I but then again I must must put it at the back of my mind? I should just call them to cancel right?"

"Um, I don't know, we didn't technically have a honeymoon."

"So you want to go?"

"You tell me."

"Well, we didn't technically have a honeymoon and we haven't really spent much time together since we had Molly. Maybe this could be good for us."

"You think?" He asked with a small smile before leaning in and she met him half way pressing their lips together softly.

bxbxbxbxbxb

A couple of weeks later, Wendell and Carlie had jetted off to Barcelona leaving Will and Molly in the capable hands of Finn.

Problem was when they got to the hotel they were a little jet lagged. Immediately they had the urge to drop on the bed and sleep until the next morning, but they didn't want to waste time - being as it was 5pm local time - even though they had a whole week to doing sightseeing and other stuff.

Carlie had gotten into the shower to wake herself up and freshen up because the flight had been quite stuffy and uncomfortable. Wendell on the other hand decided to unpack what he could just so there was no hassle later.

He looked at the room service menu and attempted to use some of his high school Spanish to decipher the food, not to much use though. Wendell was thankful that Carlie understood and spoke Spanish fluently, being as her family were Hispanic but Carlie was the only Caucasian having been adopted as a baby. The less said about her birth mother the better.

"You know that the English is on the other side?" she asked emerging from the bathroom wrapped in a white towel, smiling at the squinty look he was giving as he tried to read the menu as he would a bone.

"I can understand some of it. But I'm not sure ensalada de jamón con queso de cabra is."

"Ham salad with goat's cheese."

"Right so what do you want?"

"Mi gustaría patatas fritas con hamburguesa y agua sin gas por favor Señor."

"Fries, burger and water."

"You are correct. I taught you well." She said. "I'm not that hungry to be honest, I was just checking you understood what I said."

"Well," He said placing his hands on her hips, "I didn't have the benefit of growing up in a Spanish family."

"It was one of the good points about being an Edwards. I like my name now. It flows better." She said wrapping her arms around his neck. As bright blue stared into emerald-green, it was a wait to see who would pounce first. Her fingers went to the hem of Wendell's shirt and lifted it over his head.

Wendell finally gave in and touched her lips with his gently before letting his tongue gain entrance and tangle with hers. Feeling brave, his hand snuck down and trailed up the inside of her thigh before his finger met the sensitive bud of nerves.

Her moan was muffled as their lips were kept together. Wendell broke the kiss and kissed her neck, his finger rolling her clitoris in concentric circles.

Are you okay?" He whispered into her ear.

"Cógeme." She whispered. Wendell kissed her again and gently laid her onto the bed, climbing on top of her.

He unwrapped the towel from around her exposing her soft skin and discarded the damp material onto the floor. He caressed the small curve of her stomach, which after two children had a few silvery stretch marks and had failed to return to its former flatness, despite how much yoga she did in the morning.

"What are you thinking about?" Carlie asked giving him a small loving smile.

"Us having another baby. Maybe." He answered.

"I'm not sure. Maybe, one day, when we have a bigger home and we're ready. I want to though, just not yet."

He smiled softly before kissing her again. Being as it was the only pieces of clothing separating them, Carlie unzipped Wendell's jeans and removed both the jeans and the boxers. Wendell cradled the back of her neck before he gently entered her causing Carlie to tense beneath him.

He gently began to make love to her, every so often sucking on her pulse spot. She met his thrusts from below, moaning softly at the movements and her arms wrapped around his body. Wendell quickened his thrust, clutching the sheet with his spare hand.

"Baby…" He whispered as he kissed her firmly.

"I know." She answered.

"Oh God." He said feeling the first wave of pleasure beginning to form. The springs of the mattress blended in with the moans and groans while the late afternoon sunlight illuminated the room.

Knowing it will send Wendell over the brink, she attached her lips to his pulse point and sucked hard in it, sending a long, strong wave of pleasure ran through his body. Wendell shook violently as he came inside of her and filled his wife with pleasure causing her release.

Once they had come down from their highs, they shared a mutual satisfied smile before Wendell kissed Carlie softly. Lying beside her, his finger trailed along her collarbone where her wedding ring rested on a chain.

"I love you." She whispered. "More than you know."

"I know. I love you as well." he replied sleepily.

"Tired?"

"A little." He said pulling the sheets up to cover them. Carlie scooted over and lay her head on his chest while he wrapped his arms around her slender waist, placed a small tender kiss at the top of her head and closed his eyes falling into a deep slumber.


	30. Halloween with Wendell and Molly

'_Cause this is thriller, thriller night.  
And no one is going to save you from the beasts about to strike.  
__You know its thriller, thriller night,  
You're fighting for your life inside a killer, thriller,  
Tonight._

_Michael Jackson - Thriller_

_October 2020_

Wendell had no idea why he had been dragged into doing trick-or-treating. Actually he knew why: he was an absolute sucker when it came to his daughter. and wasn't much cop under the influence of his wife's power to turn him into mush.

Truth is he hated Halloween. As a kid he used to love it but something happened one night when he was about eight that freaked him out for the rest of his life and made him hate Halloween. However Molly hadn't inherited this from her father and she loved the idea of Halloween, dressing up and candy.

"She's not even old enough to eat the stuff." he said one night when they were getting ready for bed.

"Wendell, she's three in a couple of months and she has already had some pieces of candy from the basket." Carlie answered wiping the makeup off her face. "Trust me Wendell, our daughter doesn't get hyper." she said walking back into the bedroom next door. After he had cleaned his teeth, Wendell followed her into their room.

"So why can't you do it?" he asked.

"I have to work believe it or not and I have spent years doing this with Will, you should at least give me a break."

"Why can't Will do it?"

"He has a party. Stop trying to wriggle your way out of it."

"I'm not … I just hate Halloween."

"I know you hate it but come on, you have to make sacrifices for your daughter. It's like rule number one in the parents rule book."

Knowing how to butter him up, she grabbed her phone from off the bedside table and held up the picture Molly. Her big blue eyes managed to soften him. _I'm completely screwed. _he thought.

"And if you agree to take her, I will…" She started to whisper something in his ear that made the blood rush to his groin. "And if you do it, I will…" She continued to whisper until Wendell couldn't take it and pushed her back onto the bed and pulled his shirt off. "So I assume this is you agreeing?"

"Oh yeah." he said pulling her spaghetti strapped top off.

bxbxbxbxbxb

"Molly are you really sure about that outfit?" Wendell asked Molly when she presented herself in a Little Red Riding Hood costume.

"Yes." replied Molly with a smile on her face. "Are you dressing up as anything."

"I wouldn't count on it Molls. Ok, we need to lay down some rules." said Wendell crouching down to her height. "One, no running off. Two, stay close to me at all times. Three, we go home after about forty houses okay?"

"Ok." said Molly taking her father's hand and they walked out their house, candy bag in hand.

The first few streets weren't as bad as Wendell thought but seeing Molly's blonde hair bounce up and down in front of him, Wendell began to have flashbacks of that Halloween when he was eight and he felt a little woozy.

He watched as Molly toddled up to each house and collect her candy and toddle back with a beaming smile on her face.

"Had enough now petal?" asked Wendell after they had been to at least half the houses they had agreed on.

"No." said Wendell walking off to the next house.

"Whoa slow down Molly." The flashbacks were hitting him more but he kept going. He heard a little shriek coming from his daughter's lips and nearly panicked but it was only her being excited at the giant scarecrow. That was when he nearly passed out and braced himself against the fence.

bxbxbxbxbxb

"Christ on a bike." Carlie exclaimed when she saw the paleness in Wendell's face. "Are you okay?"

"Um… I need to lie down for a minute but I'll be fine." answered Wendell resting his head against the arm of the couch.

"Ok, baby, listen, you are home and nothing is going to happen to you." Carlie said crouching in front of him and stroked his head. "Do you want to go and lie in bed while I'll put her to bed and then we'll talk because you look like you are going to be sick."

Once Carlie had managed to get a sugar filled Molly to sleep she walked into the bedroom to find her husband with the covers over his head.

"Are you okay?" asked Carlie getting under the covers with him.

"I was eight, and my cousin took me and Max trick-or-treating." Wendell started. "We had been to about fifteen houses before we reached this farm house and we travelled through the corn field and when I knocked the door then this scary voice screamed out at us and I just ran so far that I ended up bumping into a scarecrow. I think I remembered having a panic attack right there and then. I had nightmares about that night every year since."

"Oh my God. I'm so so sorry. I shouldn't have made you go."

"Hey don't worry about it, I needed to face up to it after twenty or so years."

"Is that the reason you cannot watch The Wizard of Oz?"

"Pretty much."

"Ok, do you need me to get you something?"

"Nah, I'm good. I have you with me. You do however owe me something."

"I believe I do." said Carlie moving in to kiss him softly.


	31. Nothing A Little Make Up Sex Cannot Fix

_Easy come, easy go,  
That's just how you live, oh,  
Take, take, take it all,  
But you never give.  
Should've known you was trouble,  
From the first kiss,  
Had your eyes wide open.  
Why were they open?_

_Bruno Mars - Grenade_

_December 2020_

'_Just fucking perfect.' _Wendell thought when he came into the lab feeling extremely angry at himself and at Carlie. They had gone Christmas shopping but Cam, who was in the middle of a separation from her own husband, had planted a seed of doubt about whether he got married to soon. When Carlie asked in the diner what was wrong, he explained, she took it the wrong way in thinking he was going to leave her and then a fight broke out. And a pretty nasty one at that.

"_Why the hell are you even listening to her? Don't you remember when we got married, I said it was about you and me and no one else."_

Those sentences haunted his mind for about three hours while he was trying to examine a bone from the current murder case. She was right, it wasn't about everyone else. Their marriage was about them. And, like before when they were in the early stages of their relationship, he had gone and fucked it up.

Getting frustrated with the bone he put it down and took his gloves off. He stared down at his wedding band and sighed deeply. Carlie was the one and had been since they met. They hadn't gone through losing a friend, a short-term break up, an ectopic pregnancy and nearly losing their daughter for nothing.

Walking out of the bone room, he settled on trying to call to say sorry. Problem was she was already waiting outside for him.

"Hey." She said calmly.

"Hi." He said. Wendell began to notice something was different in Carlie's appearance from the three hours he saw her last. Well, she had been on the verge of tears back then. "I was just about to call you."

"I just came to say I was sorry for lashing out like that. I just didn't want to think you were leaving me, especially after all we have been through."

"It's okay." He said engulfing her in a hug. "I shouldn't have let Cam get to me like that."

"Well, marriage isn't for everyone but we seem to be doing okay."

"I will never leave you despite how much you drive me crazy." He said rubbing her back through the trench coat she was wearing. They smiled at each other before their lips attached with a small kiss.

Becoming slightly heated, Wendell began to undo the buttons on the coat only he stopped himself when he realised that she wasn't wearing much more than an indigo blue lace slip that emphasised her breasts so well and some stockings. Then he realised that he was at work.

Quickly he pulled her into the bone room and shut the door sharply, locking it.

"Are you nuts?" He asked returning to her and quickly kissed her again.

"This was sort of plan B in case you were still mad." She replied in-between the kisses he was giving her. She pulled off his lab coat but stopped when she saw the bones laid out on the table. "Ok, I cannot do it in here."

"We've done in here before though."

"But there wasn't a dead body in the room. Or at least one I couldn't see." She said with a sheepish smile. She could feel Wendell's obvious arousal against her thigh and knew he was not going to make it to the storage room or the Egyptian room unnoticed. "What the hell." She said pulling him in for a rough kiss.

Wendell tried to relieve some of his arousal by grinding against her but to no use. He had to be inside of her for him to get his realise.

"God you are that turned on aren't you?" She asked laughing at the grinding.

"If your wife comes to work in nothing but a slip, you would be this turned on." He replied biting her neck. His fingers went down to her mould and was surprised to see how turned on she was.

His fingers penetrated her and she let out a moan. "Oh my God." She said breathily, her head dropping to his shoulder.

"You like that?"

"You know I do." She said. His fingers continued to thrust into her and she sucked on his neck. "I want you inside of me."

"I am technically."

"You know what I mean." she said letting out a small whimper.

Wendell withdrew his fingers and lay her on the floor. He lay next to her and she unbuttoned his pants and lowered them.

Carlie climbed on top of him and lowered herself onto him. Wendell placed his hands onto her hips and guided her up and down while she placed her hands on his chest.

He watched as Carlie moved along his cock and his eyes were gazing at her chest. "God you are so beautiful." He said, a husk forming in his throat.

"I think you are gorgeous too." She replied. There was a low moan that left her lips and she picked up the pace.

She began to flush a pale pink color and Wendell could tell she was close by the pace of breaths she was giving. Wendell knew he was going to uncoil at any moment. He gave her a strained smile before pushing some of the hair out of her face.

It couldn't have been more than three more rocks until her felt her come around him and Wendell soon followed holding her as tight as he could.

Carlie lay beside him as they tried to regain their breaths. "That had to be the best make-up sex we've ever done." She commented.

"I concur." He replied. "But, I don't really want to fight like that again."

"Neither do I. I don't know what has been going through your head these last couple of days but you seem to be a little distant and then you saying you were wondering about whether we got married to soon made me wonder if you were just going to leave."

"It's not me that is leaving. It's Finn."

"Finn's leaving?"

"If he gets the job in New York then yes. It just brought up a lot of stuff that happened after Vincent died."

"You feel like you're losing your best friend again?"

"Yeah."

"You have to think that this is a good opportunity for him to grow his wings. I remember the night that we went to that stupid party, while I was looking after him that he was a little tired of being the baby of the group and he needed to grow and find his own way in life. Besides you still have Hodgins."

"Are you two done in there?" Hodgins' voice asked through the door.

"Um… we're just talking." Wendell called back.

"Yeah sure you are." Hodgins replied. They both got back up and straightened out their clothing. Carlie did the trench coat back up and Wendell put his lab coat back on.

"I'll see you later then." She said giving him a quick peck before unlocking the door and walking out.

"Dude, seriously, next to a dead body?" Hodgins asked.

"When your wife comes in with barely anything on what are you going to do?" Wendell asked returning to the remains.

"The thing is you _have _slept with my wife."

"Fair point."


	32. The Big C

_Every time I try to fly,  
I fall without my wings.  
I feel so small,  
I guess I need you baby.  
And every time I see you in my dreams,  
I see your face, it's haunting me.  
I guess I need you baby._

_Britney Spears - Every Time_

_May 2023_

Wendell had begun to notice something wasn't right with Carlie. She was rather tired all the time, was coughing a lot and had lost a bit of weight. Even though she was usually slender around her waist, she had lost about seven pounds from a hundred and nine in about three weeks and Wendell noticed her ribs were slightly visible under her skin.

"Carls, are you feeling alright?" He asked one morning when she struggled to get out of bed.

"Yeah, I'm just tired." She replied, her breaths deep.

"And have been so for two months now. Have you been eating because for some reason the weight has just dropped off you?" He said putting his hand on her shoulder but quickly retracted it when he felt how hot she was.

"What?" She asked alarmed by the sudden removal of his hand.

"You're hotter than an oven." He said feeling her forehead with the back of his hand. "Christ this is some fever."

"I'm fine. Honestly."

"You are not." He felt her side of the bed and it felt damp. "We need to take you to the hospital."

"I don't need to."

"Yes you do. I'm only making you because I love you."

"Okay, take me to the hospital if you think something is wrong."

bxbxbxbxbxb

"Name?" The nurse on reception asked the couple when they had arrived at the hospital.

"Carla Jane Bray." Carlie answered leaning over the desk, her hair tied back and she was wearing a sweatshirt and jeans. The nurse looked up at her and saw the tired look on the woman's face.

"Ok, I need you to fill out a form before a doctor can see you." The nurse said handing Carlie a clip board.

"Thanks." She said walking over to the seat next to Wendell. "I've got to fill this out before someone can see me."

"Ok." Wendell said letting her rest her head on his shoulder, while she started to fill in the form. However her penmanship looked worse as she tried to write her name down. "Do you want me to do it?"

"Yeah." She said handing him the clipboard. He filled in the basic information: her name, age (thirty-three) and her date of birth. The rest she said yes or no to and when asked about her allergies she answered strawberries.

Once he had filled in the form and returned it, they waited an hour for a doctor to call them. While they were waiting in the private room, Wendell rubbed her back and she flinched when he hit something on her upper back. That alarmed him. He felt the area and it felt solid.

"I'm sorry." He said when he saw the pain in her face.

"Wendell, I'm scared."

"I'm scared too, but whatever it is, I'll be right beside you, holding your hand the whole way." Wendell said smiling at her softly and took her hand stroking his thumb over it.

"So, Mrs Bray, what seems to be the problem?" asked the doctor when he walked in.

"Um… I'm extremely fatigued, I have a cough I cannot shake off, I feel hot and I seem to have lost weight." Carlie answered.

"Also she seems to have something hard on her back." Wendell said.

"Ok, I'm just going to check you back, then take some blood and do a biopsy and then we might have to do an MRI scan."

bxbxbxbxbxb

The doctor performed all the tests and it was a waiting game. Then the diagnosis came: stage two non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. There was a large mass behind Carlie's spine and her neck. The technical name is diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Later that night they were lying in bed and Carlie couldn't get to sleep. She felt too hot. She got out of bed and for no reason at all she stood looking out the window.

They had gone through the treatments: chemotherapy, stem cells, monoclonal antibody therapy etc. Chemotherapy seemed to be the best approach. Carlie didn't believe in stem cell therapy and she had no idea of how the latter would impact on her body.

"Hey." Wendell said coming up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Are you okay?"

"No." She answered. "I know I should be more worried about myself right now but I'm just more concerned about you."

"Why me?"

"Because you had to watch your father go through this before he died and I don't want you to relive all that."

"I don't want to either. You're lucky that it has been caught early enough though."

"I'm trying to think what is lucky about cancer though." She said, tears forming in her eyes

"Yeah, lucky is a stupid word next to cancer."

"I'm going to beat this. I want to see my son graduate high school, I need to have those stupid fights with Molly because she has come in past her curfew and I want to have another baby with you."

"I'll be with you, all the way." He said kissing the back of her head.

"I love you so much. I'm not going to leave you to raise our kids on your own."

"I love you so much. Our kids?"

"You know what I mean."

"Do you want me to do anything?"

"Hold me."


	33. The Big C II

_Lights go out and I can't be saved.  
Tides that I tried to swim against.  
You've put me down upon my knees,  
Oh I beg, I beg and plead (singing).  
Come out of things unsaid, shoot an apple of my head (and a),  
Trouble that can't be named, tigers waiting to be tamed (singing).  
You are, you are._

_Coldplay - Clocks_

_August 2023_

Carlie was into her third month of chemotherapy and it was making her more tired than the cancer itself. Quite a bit of her hair had fallen out as well. She wasn't completely bald but there were some patches in her usually thick brown hair.

"I should just shave the whole thing off." She said one evening having pulled out another clump of her hair.

"Well, you'll look great even with an egg head." Wendell said smiling at her. "So on a scale of one to ten, how do you feel?"

"Six." She answered sighing. "I'm just really really tired."

"Ok. Why don't you go to bed?"

"Okay." She said walking into their bedroom before pulling the sheets open and immediately fell asleep.

It couldn't have been about one in the morning when Wendell felt water on the sheets and he woke up to find her shaking, the sheets soaked in what looked to be sweat and when he felt her head she was so hot it actually felt as though she was on fire.

"Shit." He said.

bxbxbxbxbxb

"Her fever is one hundred and five so we're going to put some ice on her and pump her with antibiotics." The doctor explained to Wendell who was pacing the room outside Carlie's hospital room.

"Is she going to be alright?" He asked.

"I think she'll be fine but she really needs to be resting."

"I'll make sure she does. Can I see her now?"

"Yeah."

Wendell walked into her room where the nurse was putting some ice packs onto her. He sat next to her bed and took her hand. Carlie had been hooked up to a heart monitor, IVs and had a tube in her nose.

"Hey baby." He said.

"Hi." She replied tiredly. "Fun night huh?"

"Are you okay?"

"I feel like shit. Am I allowed to go home in the morning?"

"They're going to keep you in for the day just to make sure this isn't a recurring thing."

"Why don't you go home, you look tired?"

"Are you sure you are going to be alright?"

"I'm hooked up to three IVs and a heart monitor. Also you are my husband and they will call you if anything is wrong."

"Ok, I love you." He said kissing her lips softly.

"I love you." She said cupping his face as he kissed her hot forehead. He watched her close her eyes and he left the room.

bxbxbxbxbxb

A few days later Wendell took her home and she got a very warm welcome from both her children. However the exhaustion came over her again and she had to go to bed and Molly decided to follow her into bed.

"You okay Molls?" Carlie asked her daughter.

"Yeah Mommy." The little girl answered her blonde head popping out from under the covers. "Mommy, am you going to die?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Because Regina Smeaton said that people who have cancer die." Regina Smeaton was fast becoming the bane of Carlie's life. The child had been planting all sorts of nonsense into Molly's head and as a result there were questions asked. One famous occasion was the 'Will cannot really be your brother' incident which Carlie really lost her rag at Regina's mother.

"I don't know. Hopefully not."

"You better not." A voice said from the door. They looked up and saw Will standing there. The amazing thing about Carlie's relationship with her children was that even though Will was your average fifteen year old boy with a girlfriend and Molly was a daddy's girl, they were all close with each other.

"Is this an order then?" Carlie asked smiling at him.

"Yeah, I need you as much as Wendell." Despite the fact that Wendell had legally adopted Will and being the closest thing he had to a father, Will never expected Wendell to hang around too long like the other men who had dated his mother and referred to Wendell by his first name since the day they met, and it just stuck. On the odd occasion he did call Wendell 'dad'.

"Well, someone has to stop you from making me a grandmother before I am forty. Fifty actually."

"Have you ever regretted having me?"

"No. I regret how young I was but I don't regret having you."

"Do you regret having me?" Molly asked not understanding what regret meant.

"No, I don't regret either of you." She said holding Molly close to her. "I love you both."

"I love you too Mom."

bxbxbxbxbxb

About a month later, Carlie had to have a test to see if the chemotherapy was working or not. She waited four whole days until she could get her results back. She was so impatient that she started to pace up and down the living room for no real reason.

Then the doctor called her in. She went on her own because she didn't want to be seen crying if the prognosis was bad.

When Carlie arrived home that afternoon, Wendell was waiting for her, just as impatient as she had been those last few days.

"Well?" He asked taking her hands.

"The tumour has shrunk. It means that the chemo is working." She said smiling. He lifted her up and twirled her around in happiness.

"That is brilliant." He said putting her down and they kissed passionately.

"I need you." She said in between kisses. "Sexually."

"Are you absolutely certain?"

"Be my husband." She whispered kissing him again.

bxbxbxbxbxb

Later, they were lying in their bed, the sheets covering their naked bodies, while the late afternoon sunlight lit up the room. Wendell had made love to her as gently as he could, reminiscent of their first time where he wanted her to get use to his touch.

"Are you okay?" Wendell asked softly, his finger trailing between her collarbone and navel.

"Yeah. I feel better." She smiled slightly. "Do I still look beautiful to you?"

"Of course you do look beautiful." He replied moving some of the hair out of her face only it fell out. "How about when you are completely better, we try for another baby?"

"Wendell, I'm not sure I am going to be able to conceive after all this medication, but we could try to see if we can."

"Ok." He said pulling her closer. "How about we move?"

"To a house?"

"Yeah, we've been in this apartment for years and Molly is getting too big for this place. It doesn't have to be a big house just enough space for all of us. A fresh start."

"Ok, when I'm well again, we'll start looking." She said kissing him softly. "I love you."

"I love you too."


	34. Strawberries

_Should I give up, or should I just keep chasing pavements,  
even if they lead nowhere?  
__Or would it be a waste  
Even if I knew my place,  
Should I leave it there?  
Should I give up,  
Or should I just keep chasing pavements  
Even if it leads nowhere?_

_Adele - Chasing Pavements_

_December 2023_

Molly was turning six and had decided that she was a grown up much to the amusement of her parents. She made a list of all the things she could do now she was six, even though there wasn't much she couldn't do at five.

Now that Carlie was in full remission, she and Wendell were trying for another baby. They had been trying for a month and even though it was still early, they hadn't managed it. They were still in looking for a house, but they hadn't found something they liked _and_ could afford.

"So, munchkin, what do you want to do for you birthday?" Carlie asked her daughter when she picked her up from school one afternoon. Some of the other mothers looked at her, mainly because she had very short hair as a result of the chemotherapy and was extremely thin.

"I want a party." The little girl answered.

"A party?"

"Yep."

"As in you and your friends?"

"Yep."

"Sweetie, I'm not sure. I still don't feel too great."

"Please. I'll make sure everyone behaves."

"Can you behave yourself?"

"Of course."

"I'll discuss it with your father but I cannot make any guarantees."

bxbxbxbxbxb

"She wants a what?" Wendell asked when they were laying out the takeaway pizza on the table.

"A party. I said I would talk it over with you before I can make a decision." Carlie answered taking a small bite out of the pizza.

"I'm not so sure you can handle a bunch of kids running around."

"Well, she did promise she would make them behave."

"She's make them behave?"

"Our daughter does have the power to influence people."

"That she got from you."

"No, I just influence you because you are a sucker when it comes to me seducing you."

"True. So do you agree with the party?"

"Well, it is something she wants and at least we don't have to go out-of-town this time."

"We'll need a list of how many kids but you need to let me do all the work."

"You cannot do all the work Wendell. At least let me help with the food."

"Ok, what if I bring in some help because I don't need you over doing it?"

"Ok deal."

bxbxbxbxbxb

The day of Molly's birthday came around and Wendell had gotten up early to finish making the sandwiches that both he and Carlie had started the previous night.

"If I ever see bread again, it will be too soon." He muttered grabbing a knife to butter the bread.

There had to have been six types of sandwiches: cheese, ham, chicken, cheese and pickle, BTL and tuna. They had also spent a bit of money on party food as well. Mini sausages, sausage rolls, mini pizzas, chips - in three different flavours -, cakes (including Molly's birthday cake), pretzels and, due to Carlie's healthy food stance, salad and a fruit salad (made with strawberries, oranges, kiwis, bananas and apples), and a lot of fizzy drinks.

"How many kids are coming to this thing?" Clark, who was Molly's godfather, asked when he observed all the food. He had arrived around seven to help set up the party to let Carlie have some rest considering how fragile she was.

"A lot. Thirty I think, and that includes Harry and Allie as well." Wendell replied.

"And you and I are keeping an eye on all of them?"

"Pretty much. Carlie is still a little unwell and I just don't want her stressing."

"Fair enough. So what is first on the list?"

"Laying the food out before Molly wakes up, and knowing my daughter, she'll be up at the crack of dawn."

By the time they had laid out all the food and sorted out all the music that was child friendly, Carlie had woken up and decided to help out by laying the presents out.

"So how long until she gets up?" Clark asked at about half seven.

"In about three seconds." Carlie answered before she heard a loud cheer from Molly's room. "And she's up."

"Seriously, having a younger sister is like having my own personal alarm clock." Will said walking out of his room.

"Well, that should warn you off kids until you're thirty." Carlie said.

"Thirty?" Clark asked.

"He's sixteen and by then I'll be old enough to be a grandmother."

"She's also threatened to kill me if I _do_ get anyone pregnant while on high school." Will explained trying to pinch one of the sandwiches.

Molly decided to run in with a beaming smile on her face and immediately towards her mother hugging her tightly. Since Carlie had been ill, Molly had been a little clingy towards her mother, especially after what Regina Smeaton said (unfortunately for Carlie, Molly was way too nice and had invited her).

"Hey munchkin, happy birthday." Carlie said hugging her daughter back.

"So, what time does the party start?" Will asked.

"About eleven." Wendell answered. "I think I'm more like concerned about the food."

"Well, we have thirty kids, one of which is a Booth so I'll think we'll be fine. There isn't any nut products is there?"

"I made sure."

bxbxbxbxbxb

The party seemed to be going well at first, the kids settled in nicely and had devoured a lot of the food, as did some of the adults. Carlie had been really picky with food of late, mainly because one of the new interns had commented - unknowing of her health - that having sex with her would be be like making love to one of the dead bodies (a joke directed at how much weight she had lost - now down to ninety-six pounds). It took half an hour of comforting from Angela to reassure her that she was still a looker despite the hair and the unhealthily thin frame. Being an amazing friend, Angela had confronted the new intern and told them to be careful what they say in the future.

"So, this was a big achievement to pull out." Sweets' girlfriend Lisa said pulling up a chair at the table.

"Once every so often a party isn't a bad idea, and after the year we've had it's nice to have some fun." Carlie answered smiling slightly.

"Well the food looks pleasant, you should be congratulated."

"Wendell did most of it, I just helped cook the pizzas last night."

"Problem is you are not eating anything."

"I'm just not hungry, like ever. I'm not sure whether It has messed up my appetite or not but as long as the kids go home alright then I'll be glad."

"Yeah, but we have to look out for you as well. You are what one hundred and sixty-five centimetres and you weigh ninety-six pounds, you are almost anorexic in a way."

"Except I do eat. I just don't eat much. And I'm not going to be able to have a baby until I have gained all the weight back."

"Are you trying?"

"Yeah, we're trying but it might not be much use."

"Mrs Bray." A voice called beside her and Carlie turned her head to face a dark-haired freckled girl.

"Yes Regina." Carlie said trying to put on a smile.

"There is a lot of junk food here." Regina said looking at the table. "Junk food is bad for you isn't it."

"Yes, Regina but just this once isn't too bad." Carlie said. "There is salad and fruit salad if you want."

"Ok." The child said as Carlie helped her put some of the chopped fruit into a plastic bowl. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." She said sitting down again. The child ran off to join the rest of the party while Carlie picked at one of the sandwiches.

"Isn't that the child you said you could throttle?" Lisa asked.

"Yeah, not that I ever would but you do get that child. I know my kids are not perfect but there some kids who are just like..."

"Annoying?"

"Exactly." She replied taking a bite out of the chicken sandwich. "Hey, how is everything going?" Carlie asked Clark when he sat down.

"These are really good kids, I'm beginning to wonder why I haven't had any sooner." He answered.

"Didn't you guys have a bet to see who would become a parent first?" Lisa asked.

"My money was on Fisher." Carlie said. "He probably does but doesn't know or he's been hiding the child from us."

"Mind you his mother would be pleased." Clark said.

"Mrs Bray?" Regina asked again.

"What Regina?" Carlie asked.

"Molly's turned blue."

bxbxbxbxbxb

Molly had an allergic reaction to a strawberry in the fruit salad and had to be taken to the hospital where she was shot up with adrenaline, which then knocked her out.

"Is she alright?" Wendell asked his wife when he walked into the hospital room where their daughter was asleep, her blonde head poking out of the covers.

"She's just shattered." Carlie answered shifting in the chair next to the bed. "Well, I cannot say I am surprised. Funny how I think about nuts but not the fact my child is allergic to anything."

"Well, it could be something that has developed because she has never had a reaction before. You never had a reaction to strawberries until she was three months old."

"I should have been much more careful with the food."

"Hey, we didn't know this could happen, some allergies just develop out of nowhere."

"I don't know what I would do without you. You are my rock when the times get hard."

"Do you want something to drink?"

"I want something to eat. I need something to eat. You don't want me looking like a pregnant skeleton when we make another baby."

"Maybe we should put that off for while, until we've moved and you have gained some weight back on."

"You're right there isn't much use in trying for one until I have gain enough weight to even carry one. Also we need to focus on the baby we have now." She said looking over at Molly.


	35. Principal's Office

**Ok, this story is back on air. I really suck when it comes to hiatuses because I feel too drawn to my stories. They're my babies and I don't have much of a social life.**

_I come home in the middle of the night,  
My mama says 'when you going to live your life right?'  
Well mama dear, we're not the fortunate ones,  
Girls just wanna have fun, oh girls just wanna have fun._

_Cyndi Lauper- Girls Just Wanna Have Fun _

_May 2026_

"Oh what now?" Wendell asked himself when he saw his daughter's school name flash up on his phone. This had to have been the third time this year that they have called both him and Carlie in because Molly had either been disruptive or had damaged something.

"Molly?" Arastoo asked.

"Yeah." Wendell answered putting the phone up to his ear. "Hello, Wendell Bray … Right … Okay we'll be there in an hour … Thanks."

"Do you want me to finish this off?" Arastoo asked.

"I might be in prison so you might as well." Wendell said taking his lab coat off.

bxbxbxbxbxb

"Why is she only my daughter when she is in trouble?" Wendell asked Carlie when they were waiting outside the principal's office.

"According to your mother, you were a pain is the arse when you were Molly's age." Carlie answered pushing her hair behind her ears.

"I wasn't that bad."

"You spent a night in Juvie."

"I still wasn't that bad."

"Dr Bray, Mrs Bray, Principal Beaton will see you now." The secretary said and they got up, knocked the door and opened it to find their daughter sitting in the middle of three chairs, Principal Beaton and a woman with her hair tied back.

"Why do they insist on calling you Mrs not Dr?" Wendell whispered.

"To avoid confusion since we both have a doctorate I suppose." She answered.

"Well…" Principal Beaton (Beatonarus to both Wendell and Hodgins since they were convinced that he had been principal since the Stone Age) began. "I suppose you are wondering why I have called you in. Again."

"A little." Carlie answered.

"Molly had an altercation with her teacher about a school project."

"The solar system model?" Wendell asked.

"Yes, according to Ms Fitzgerald, Molly had asked why she had only received a B minus for the model to which Ms Fitzgerald answered because she hadn't labelled the planets. Molly's response was that was a very dumb reason for a B minus. Her teacher then said that Molly knew what was expected. Can you tell us what you said after that Molly?" The principal explained.

"That people weren't stupid enough not to know which planet is which." Molly answered with her head down.

"Be that as it may Molls, you should have really followed the expectations." Carlie chastised her daughter.

"So, who is this?" Wendell said pointing to the woman.

"I'm Dr Jillian Voderman. I am the school psychiatrist."

"Psychiatrist?" Carlie asked.

"Due to this being the third time we have called you in this year and the sixth time overall, we need to establish whether this could be ADD or something else." Principal Beaton said.

"You think this is Attention Deficit Disorder?" Wendell asked.

"Well, Dr Bray, Molly has been extremely disruptive, it could be possible that she is doing this for attention but she gets distracted easily, does not seem to listen when spoken to directly and has trouble keeping attention on tasks." Dr Voderman explained. "However a couple of weeks ago, the third grade class were given an IQ test. Molly's came out as one hundred and sixteen which puts her in the mildly gifted category and well above average for a child."

"One hundred and sixteen?" Both parents said astounded.

"Did you work with her when she was young on her basic skills such as literacy and math?" Dr Voderman asked.

"Well, yeah, it shouldn't be left up to the school entirely to teach. Mind you she was able to spell palaeontology when she was four." Wendell said. "I don't tend to switch off then it comes to technical jargon even in front of the kids so that might have rubbed off on her."

"The rest came out with average IQ points which begs the question: Molly do you get bored in lessons?" Principal Beaton asked.

"A little." Molly answered.

"A little?" Wendell asked.

"Ok, a lot." Molly corrected herself. "I do try Sir but I finish before everyone else and I have nothing really to do."

"It isn't uncommon for children with quite high IQs to get bored. While it is great your daughter is quite advanced, the main concern is her social skills. If she does continue to question authority then she could have issues when she has a carrier. We do have two options, either move her to an older class or keep her in the class she is in but give her harder stuff to do so she doesn't get bored too quickly." Dr Voderman said.

"But wouldn't they both segregate her from her classmates?" Carlie asked. "I mean if you move her to an older class she is going to be patronised because she is too young to be there, but if you give her more difficult stuff in her current class you may as well have a giant neon arrow pointing to her saying, 'you lot are dumber than I am'."

"We do have specialists schools set up for children like Molly. Maybe that could be an option." Principal Beaton said.

"Or maybe give her something to do after she has finished." Wendell suggested. "Maybe let her read something or give her some more work to do." Wendell said.

bxbxbxbxbxb

"So, our child is a genius?" Wendell asked later that evening when they were back at their house that they had bought two years prior having found it to be sufficient enough for their family and affordable. It had three bedrooms that were big enough for them.

"Well, Molls has always been a bright child but we need to find a way to stop her becoming bored." Carlie said sipping her wine.

"We could send her to that specialist school."

"Away from her friends? Putting her in a school where they place the kids are too smart for mainstream school and therefore have to be segregated?"

"But she wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb."

"We need to think about what is best for her."

"Or why don't we ask her want she wants to do."

"That sounds fair." They both got up and walked up the stairs towards their daughter's room where they found her sitting on her bed reading what looked to be a text book. Upon closer observation, Wendell noticed it was an eighth grade textbook. "Hey Molls we need to talk to you a second."

"Okay, what?" Molly asked.

"You know how you are struggling with not being bored at school, we- well your father- were thinking of that specialist school. Now I don't agree with it but we decided to leave it up to you."

"I don't want to leave school. Maybe the teacher could give me harder stuff that I won't finish in ten minutes."

"Are you sure you won't feel like you stick out like a sore thumb?" Wendell asked.

"No." Molly answered.

"Ok, munchkin, we'll talk to Principal Beaton tomorrow about it." Carlie said. "But you need to try to get on with Ms Fitzgerald. I know she seems to be a little stuck-up, but you have to cope with it for another month."

"Okay I'll try." Molly said.


	36. Letting Go

_Someday you might find your hero,  
Some say you might lose your mind.  
I keeping my head down now for the summer,  
I'm outta my mind let me pull the other,  
I'm gonna take that tiger outside for a ride.  
What a life._

_Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - AKA… What a Life._

_June 2026_

Will had managed to graduate high school and, much to his mother's relief, didn't get anyone pregnant. However had dropped a massive bombshell : he wanted to join the army.

"Are you out of your mind?" Carlie asked her son once she got home. Mad was an understatement with her at that current moment.

"Look, it is practical. You wouldn't have to pay for college, I'll learn new skills and go to places I've never went before."

"War zones Will. Those places you'll be going will be war zones."

"Ok, I get you are upset, but I know what I am doing."

"You don't though. You think you do but you have no clue as to where you are going and what is going to be expected."

"Christ when did you start controlling my life."

"I am not controlling your life. I just think you are making a massive mistake."

"How is fighting for my country a mistake?"

"I'm not saying that is the mistake. It is you doing the exact same thing your father did."

"He died a hero though."

"He died too young though. I don't want you to waste your life because you decided to be an idiot"

"I'm sorry Mom, but I'm enlisting whether you like it or not."

bxbxbxbxbxb

The tension in the Bray household had spread over three days and Wendell was getting a little fed up. He knew he couldn't change Will's mind but he could bring Carlie around to the idea.

"He's my son and he wants to go out to places like Rwanda and I don't know Kazakhstan where he'll die." Carlie said on the third night.

"You don't know that." Wendell said. "He's eighteen and rational enough to make his own choices."

"I lost that massive part of my life when I was seventeen. I don't want to lose this massive part of my life."

"What if I say that you know that he is doing the right thing, it's just that the mother in you is preventing you from seeing that."

"No… I… when his father died, I felt like a part of me was ripped out. I was young and in love and I thought he was doing the right thing because it was a tradition in his family. Then that phone call came and I shut down. I was pregnant, alone, without a job and I just couldn't cope. And I know it is completely selfish but I don't want to be feeling like that again."

"The difference is that a: you are not alone, you have me and Molls, b: you have a job and c: you're not being selfish your being a mother."

"I am though. I'm preventing him from doing something he wants to do in favor of keeping him at home where he'll hate me. I'm turning into my father that is what is going on."

"You are not turning into your father. What it is that you still see Will as a four-year-old, and now that he is graduating, you begin to wonder where all those years have gone."

"How do you know that?"

"Because mom said that when I left for college, she wondered where all those years went. I'll do the same when Molls moves out, but we have ten years to think about that."

"Should I go and talk to him then?"

"Yeah."

"Ok, I'll talk to him." She said getting up to go to speak to her son. "Hey honey." She said quietly when she reached the door of Will's room. "I'm sorry I have been a little off with you because of this whole enlisting thing but you need to know why I have been off."

"Ok, I'm listening." Will said putting his phone down.

"I know that you are eighteen and a grown up now, but I still think of you as my baby. I still see that little boy who loved video games and wouldn't say much, and I don't want to see you get hurt or worse, killed."

"Ok, I understand that but I don't understand why you said it would be a mistake."

"When I had you, I was depressed because of what happened to your father and I had said to him that I was okay with him joining the army. I don't want to go back into that should the same thing happen to you. And I know it sounds selfish but -"

"It isn't being selfish. I don't want you to either but I've made my mind up. Mom, there is no way you and Wendell can afford to send me to college without becoming broke and I am not the most academic person alive. This seemed to be the more natural option."

"I know I cannot stop you doing what you want, and I won't. I was just a little surprised that was your career choice because you never said anything about it before."

"I know I never but I decided to do this when I was thirteen. I just wanted to make you proud."

"I have always been proud of you Will. Never doubt that for one minute."


	37. Lunchtime Rendezvous

_You,  
Your sex is on fire.  
Consumed,  
With what's to transpire._

_Kings of Leon - Sex on Fire_

_November 2028_

The radiators had busted and the house was freezing. Being as it was a Saturday it meant getting the groceries and Molly going to the park with her friends. Wendell, having the mechanical skills, decided to fix the radiators. Only he had made it worse and had let a bunch of heat into the house.

"Oh my God." Carlie said walking into the house removing her coat immediately as the overwhelming heat hit her. "I thought you were fixing this?"

"No, I decided to bust the nozzle by accident and turn this place into the Sahara desert." Wendell answered sarcastically.

"Well, why don't you just call the guy?"

"Because I am not paying for something I can fix myself."

"Fine do you need me to help?"

"Well, you could pass me the tools."

"Ok, She said sitting next to the radiator but removed her sweater. "So how did the radiator break in the first place?"

"They've been going wrong all over the street so it must be something underground. Pass me the wrench."

"Where is it?"

"In the tool box in the kitchen."

"Ok, I'll do that." She said walking into the kitchen grabbed about three wrenches so if they were the wrong one she wouldn't have to walk back. Only she stopped short when she saw Wendell's body now stripped of the shirt he was wearing. _'_

_Oh fucking hell.'_ She thought as she felt her mouth go dry. Now usually Wendell in an undershirt was usually enough to get her hot and bothered. Wendell in an undershirt with grease and sweat on him was enough to turn her into mush.

"Are you just going to stand there or are you actually going to help?" Wendell asked snapping her out of her trance.

"I..ur-yes." She stammered.

"Heat getting to you?"

"Oh yeah." She said slightly transfixed on the beads of sweat on his neck. _'Snap out of it Carla. I know you just want to do him right now but this heating needs fixing.' _

"Thanks." He said when she handed him one of the wrenches. "Are you okay, you look a little flushed?"

"Just the heat." She answered.

_'And the fact that you so fucking hot like this that I could just push you onto the floor and fuck you until your mind is scrambled.'_

The heat really starting to get to her, she removed her vest top and deposited it on the floor. Unfortunately for Wendell, the bra she was wearing was a violet with black lace piece that just cupped her so well. _'_

_Oh dear lord, if this is a test then I am going to fail.' H_e thought when she sat next to him. '_Seriously, I am the luckiest son of a bitch in the freaking world.'_

"Are you okay, you seem to be a little flushed yourself?" Carlie said.

"Just the heat."

_'And the fact that I can feel myself getting more turned on the more I look at you.'_

It couldn't have been more than a minute before Wendell finally snapped and started to kiss her roughly. Even though she gasped at first, she gratefully kissed him back placing her hand on his firm chest.

"God I want you." He said with a small growl in his voice.

"Take me then." She whispered. He picked her up as she wrapped her legs around his waist as he rushed up to their bedroom. As soon as he put her down on the bed, Wendell immediately removed her pants. A cocky smirk formed on their faces and their lips joined as their lust for each other consumed them both.

"I need you." Carlie said as her fingers went to remove his undershirt. Her fingers went over his abdomen playfully as he unhooked her bra and licked his lips.

Wendell caressed her breasts with his hands before his lips attached to her nipple. His tongue whirled around alienating between sucking and licking, while his wife let out soft moans. He looked up at her and met her eyes before winking and detaching his lips from her nipple and moved lower, planting butterfly soft kisses down her stomach.

Carlie inhaled deeply when Wendell placed his hands at the top of her panties before lifting her hips to help him remove them.

His tongue darted out to lick along her slit in long strokes. Carlie arched her back at the touch, keeping one hand on Wendell's head as he licked her out, while the other hand clutched onto the pillow next to her as pleasure ran through her body with every stroke of his tongue.

"Oh God!" She moaned loudly. His lips attached to her clit and gave it the same treatment as the nipple. Wendell whirled his tongue around tapping the clit lightly.

Gently he slipped one finger inside her while continuing the treatment on her clit before slipping another inside and curled them as he thrust them in.

"Oh my God you taste so good." He commented sucking more roughly and quickened his fingers. Her deep shallow pants were indicative of how close to the edge she was.

"Fuck." She whispered as she felt herself about to uncoil. It couldn't have been more than a minute later before she let out a loud cry as her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Wendell helped her through it gently thrusting one finger inside her.

"God that was mind-blowing." She said still breathing heavily. Wendell smiled softly before kissing her firmly. "You need me now."

There was no kidding that he needed her. She could feel his erection on her thigh. Carlie went to his pant zip and button and lowered the pants and the boxers with an extremely seductive look in her emerald eyes.

With one thrust he entered her and started to set up a rhythm. Her hands went to his back and she felt the sweat on his back because he actually hadn't fixed the radiator and they were actually hot. Physically hot and hot for each other.

The rhythm was slow at first but Carlie's lips mimed something that looked to say harder and he did so. Carlie cupped the back of his neck and pulled him down for a kiss.

"Jesus." Wendell whispered picking up the pace slightly. The groans were coming thick and fast from their mouths.

He had one arm wrapped around her waist while the other cupped the back of her head. Carlie had her hand running her nails along his back while the other held his hip.

"Wendell." She said breathing heavily herself. She could tell he was close due to the shallow breaths. Their chests pressed together, she could feel his rapid heartbeat. "Baby just come."

And with her voice, he came in a rush that left his head spinning. Wendell lay beside her and raked his hand through his sweat damp hair.

"Wow." He said in a daze.

"Totally." She answered.

"I… um… I'm just going to call the guy."

"Whatever happened to I can fix anything?"

"I get distracted." He said with a small smile before she moved over and lay on his chest contented in their post-coital cuddle. "But seriously we need to get that sorted."

"Five more minutes." She said sleepily. Rolling his eyes, he let her fall asleep and rolled her onto the pillow next to him, quickly redressing her and himself before walking out to fix the problem that caused their lunchtime rendezvous.


	38. The Unfortunate Thing Called Crushes

_Great Dane's cheekbones, teenage hormones,  
__Young complexion, non-physical affection  
You're a God send.  
Do you want a boyfriend?  
Crazy crazy, easy tiger_

_The Vaccines - _Nørgaard

_January 2029_

"Are we moving to New Zealand?" Molly asked over dinner one night. That took both Carlie and Wendell by surprise. There had been an argument the week before involving Carlie and her father and Molly must have overheard the shouting.

"Um…no why?" Wendell asked.

"I overheard you two arguing last week."

"Sweetheart you have the wrong end of the stick. I was arguing with your grandfather." Carlie answered.

"So no one is getting a divorce?" Molly asked.

"Absolutely not." Wendell said. "But we do need to tell you something important."

"What?" Molly asked.

"I'm…well… I'm having a baby." Carlie said hesitantly because they had no idea how Molly would react.

"What?" Molly said looking confused.

"Your mom is having a baby." Wendell said. "Is that going to be alright?"

"Wha-how?" Molly asked.

"I assume this is bad?" Wendell asked unsure.

"You're old." Molly said.

"Thanks." They both said.

"Well not old I just thought that people cannot have babies when they are over thirty." Molly said innocently.

"That is incorrect. There have been parents who have had babies in their seventies." Carlie said. "I'm not that old."

"Neither am I." Wendell said.

"Ok, I'm sorry. I just didn't expect you and Dad to have a baby."

"Sweetheart, it isn't like we planned it ourselves - we gave up trying years ago - but we're happy about the fact that you might be having either a brother or sister and I know that this isn't going to be easy on you considering that you are going into middle school around the same time but…" Carlie tried to explain but couldn't quite finish it.

"Mom, its fine. I was just a little surprised." Molly said returning to her food.

"Are you okay Molls? You seem to be a little down recently." Wendell asked.

"I'm fine Dad." Molly said not really looking up at him.

bxbxbxbxbxb

"Something is up with our daughter." Wendell said at work the following day.

"Maybe she is just growing up. You know she might be entering puberty." Carlie answered.

"She's eleven."

"So I was her age when I started developing. It's probably hormones."

"Do women justify everything with hormones?"

"Carry on and you'll feel the wrath of pregnancy hormones." She said firmly. "Look, Molly is growing up, and she has a whole bunch of emotions she has never felt before going through her head and she might be a little confused."

"So we just let her be moody for the rest of her teenage years?"

"No. What we do is be patient with her and we let her come to us in her own time."

bxbxbxbxbxb

_March 2029_

"Ok, she's been moody for two months now, we need to intervene at some point." Wendell said one Saturday afternoon.

"Ok, when she comes in I'll talk to her." Carlie said.

"There has to be something up."

"You don't think it is the pregnancy do you?"

"She said she was okay with it."

"I know what she said but … she's been moody ever since we told her. She's never had to share you with anyone but Will but even that was limited."

"You think this is because she is jealous?"

"It's probable."

They heard the front door slam shut and some rapid footsteps going up the stairs. "I think she's home." Wendell said.

"Yeah I'll go and talk to her now." Carlie said walking towards and up the stairs but stopped at Molly's door when she heard what sounded like sobs. "Molls are you okay?" She asked knocking the door.

"Go away." Molly said through the door.

"I'm not going away." Carlie answered before opening the door to find her daughter in a state. "Oh, sweetheart what is wrong?" She asked sitting on Molly's bed.

"I don't want to talk about it." Molly said. "You might not understand."

"Molly trust me, I have had more than enough drama in my life to understand any problems you have."

"I like someone." Molly said quietly.

"As in like-like someone?"

"Yes."

"Ok, that I can understand. So does he or she know?"

"Harry knows. I told him this afternoon, and I don't think he took it well."

"Wait as in Harry? Harry Booth?"

"How many Harry's do we know?"

"Fair point. I think Harry was just taken aback, it had nothing to do with you. Is this the reason why you have been moody recently?"

"Yeah."

"Ok, do you want to talk more or do you want a hug?"

"A hug." Molly said moving closer towards her mother before wrapping her arms around, slightly awkwardly considering the newly developed baby bump. "Am I going to get over this?"

"I don't know, I could never get over your father, even if I tried."


	39. Enter Jasmine Olivia

_Light up, light up,  
As if you had a choice,  
Even if you cannot hear my voice,  
I'll be right beside you dear._

_Snow patrol - Run._

_July 2029_

Moving around over the next few months proved more difficult with a sizable bump to deal with. Carlie had five more weeks to deal with it but had given up because there was no use in complaining. It wasn't as if there was something they could do about it. Also she had been a hormonal mess, but the pregnancy had went without the complications she had with her last one.

Also there had been a dull throbbing in her lower back for two whole days. However on the afternoon of the third day, her water broke. And she was alone. Molly had gone to camp for the summer while Wendell was still at work. Being the stubborn woman that she was she refused to go to the hospital on her own and settled for trying to get through contractions and breathing.

"Hey." Wendell said walking into their living room but the smile on his face was soon wiped when he found her braced against the back of the couch, her face red and sweaty and her breaths were short and laboured. Speaking of which…

"The baby's coming." She cried out as the contraction overcame her and the pain ripped through her body.

"Ok." He said running over to her and held her hands tightly as she breathed slowly as the contraction subsided. "How long have you been in labor?"

"My water broke about four hours ago. Contractions might have started two days ago."

"Four - why have you not gone to the hospital?"

"I didn't want to go on my own."

"You should have called me." He should be a little angry at her but she was in agony and knowing what she was like during labor, he put it aside and just kissed the back of her head.

"I know but I didn't want to disturb you at work." She replied turning around and dropped on to the floor her back resting against the couch.

"I wouldn't care." He said crouching in front of her. "Should we go to the hospital now?"

"I'm not sure if I am going to make it to the hospital in time. They're two minutes apart and they are lasting about, I don't know, fifty-five seconds."

"Ok, ok." he said trying to calm himself down. He had to stay calm for her. "Ok, I'm going to call an ambulance and…Um… I'm just going to do that." he said running over to the phone and dialled 911. "Hi, um, the address is 4343 Alton Place Northwest and my wife is having a baby… Thirty five weeks… Contractions are two minutes apart… Do I have to check?"

"Check what?" She asked.

"How far dilated you are." He answered.

"For Christ's sake Wendell, it isn't like you haven't put them in there before." She said her face twisting in pain.

"Ok." he said crouching between her legs, pulled the underwear off and out-of-the-way and checked her cervix. "What does five fingers mean?"

"That I'm certainly not getting to the hospital in time." Carlie said crying out.

"Ok, relax." Wendell said cupping her face with his spare hand. "I've got this under control."

"You better have because I certainly do not." She said laughing slightly. "You need to get towels and large bowl."

"What is the bowl for?"

"The placenta."

"Right I'm on it." He said kissing her forehead and ran to get the supplies. Wendell ran to the airing cupboard to grab a couple of towels before running back to the kitchen.

"Not those towels, they're our good towels." Carlie said.

"Does that matter at this moment?" Wendell asked.

"Don't argue with me Wendell Bray, you are already in enough trouble with me."

"Fine." He said rolling his eyes and ran back and swapped the towels for some old ones. "Better?" He asked when he returned. She nodded and Wendell ran back over to her and lay one of the towels between the legs. "So do you know what I have to do now?"

"The bowl."

"Crap I forgot." He said running over to the Tupperware cupboard and pulled out a plastic bowl and put it at the side of her. "What now?"

"I want to push." She said breathily.

"Ok, go for it." He said. Wendell's hands went between her legs so he could catch the baby as she came out, while Carlie pushed as hard as she could. While breathing in between contractions, Carlie noticed Wendell's face was paling a little.

"You're not going to faint are you?" She asked.

"No. I'm fine." He said shaking it off. "Come on, you need to push. You're doing great." he said as she started contracting again. "Ok, I think I can see her head." Carlie gave a hard push before the head was delivered.

"Does she look okay?" Carlie asked trying to regain her breath.

"The cord is around her neck." Wendell replied#

"Oh my God, ok if it is loose enough you can pull it over her head, if not leave it because if you try it'll snap and the baby will lose oxygen."

"Ok, I think it's loose." Carefully he eased it over the baby's head. "Ok, it's not now# One more push and I think we'll have her out."

"I love you." She said

"I love you too." He said. One more hard push and the body was born.

"Why isn't she crying?" Carlie answered a little worried.

Wendell rubbed the baby through the towel to try to get his new daughter to breathe until she let out a small whine and then cried.

"Oh thank God." She whispered as she was handed the towel wrapped infant and Wendell scooted over to the side of her, allowing her to rest her head on his shoulders. "We did it."

"She's absolutely gorgeous." Wendell said kissing his wife's head. "You did amazing. Do I cut the cord?"

"No wait for the ambulance they'll deal with it." She said her arms trembling.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm just a little shocked." The door bell rang and Wendell ran to open it to let in the paramedics.

bxbxbxbxbxb

At the hospital, the baby had been checked over and weighed (5 pounds 8 ounces). Carlie had been checked over as well but to be safe, both she and her daughter had to stay in overnight.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Wendell asked sitting by her hospital bed.

"Tired, sore, a little freaked out." Carlie replied. "Are you okay? You didn't look to good earlier."

"I was more worried than disgusted."

"Is she okay?"

"She's fine, they're bringing her up in a minute once they've finished looking her over. Fun night huh?"

"You did amazing. Thank you."

"Why are you thanking me?"

"I don't know, I'm a hormone salad at the moment."

"In that case, you're welcome." He said taking her hand.

"Someone wants to see you." The nurse said bringing in the small cot that contained their daughter. "I'll leave you two alone." She said walking out. The first thing Carlie did was lean forward to try to get a good look at the infant. The baby had a thin layer of what looked to be strawberry-blonde hair, green eyes like her mother-in fact the baby looked to be an exact double of Carlie. Aside from the ears.

Slowly she smiled and stroked the baby's fist before lifting her out of the cot and cradled her. "Hey." She said giving the baby a bigger smile.

"Hey?"

"I'm still trying to work out a name for her. We were supposed to do it tonight but obviously things got in the way."

"Maybe some inspiration will hit us."

The door knocked and the nurse entered again. "Sorry to bother you but your friends are waiting outside but I told them they couldn't come in so they left you some flowers." She said holding up what looked to be a bouquet of jasmines which just so happened to be Carlie's favourite flower as Wendell found out the morning after their first 'date'.

_"If you feel the need to buy me flowers for no reason, don't buy me roses-even though they are beautiful. Buy me jasmines."_

_"Why jasmines?"_

_"Because they are less conventional and are widely underappreciated. Also they remind me of innocence and I like the colour white. You can imagine more with white than any other color and it goes with everything." _

Carlie let out a small gasp which worried Wendell slightly before he clocked on. Jasmine. She liked the name Jasmine.

"I like it too." Wendell said.

"Jasmine is perfect."

"What about a middle name?"

"What do you think?"

"Olivia. Jasmine Olivia."

"Welcome Jasmine Olivia."


	40. Very Naïve Girl

_Love love is a verb,  
Love is a doing word,  
Fearless on my breath.  
Gentle impulsion,  
Shakes me, makes me lighter,  
Fearless on my breath._

_Massive Attack - Teardrop_

_January 2034_

An incident had happened to Allie Sweets after a Christmas dance at the high school. As a result Wendell had checked up on Molly about twelve times since finding out .

"Are you okay Molls?" He asked knocking on Molly's bedroom door where she was lying on her stomach and texting.

"I'm the same as I was an hour ago Dad." Molly answered not taking her eyes off her phone.

"I just wanted to make sure, you are my baby no matter how old you are."

"I'm not the baby, Jasmine is."

"Are you going to actually talk to me face to face?"

"If I have to." She said putting her phone down. "Ok, what do you want?"

"I just need you to know that if you are hurt then you can come to me at anytime."

"Because of what happened to Allie. Dad, I know how to look after myself. I've looked after Jas as well."

"However there are some people in the world who do horrible things and you cannot stop them. And I want you know that guys are like animals in high school and I don't want you to be pressured into doing something-"

"Dad, I'm not a vir-very naïve girl." Molly said quickly correcting herself. It took Wendell a couple of seconds to realise the mistake Molly had corrected herself from.

"Right… so you are not a vir-very naïve girl?" He asked uncertainly.

"Yeah, Dad I'm not."

"Ok, I'm just going to leave, I'll just leave to what you were doing." He said walking backwards.

"Ok, Dad, I'll see you later then." Molly said as her father left the room.

Once Wendell came downstairs he found Carlie and Jasmine playing on the floor with some toy farm animals Jasmine had received for Christmas.

"Why does Daddy look white?" Jasmine asked looking confused.

"Yeah, why do you look white Wendell?" Carlie asked.

"Depends if you can cover Jas' ears." Wendell answered. Carlie did just so and Wendell began to explain what he and his eldest daughter had just talked about. "She told me she wasn't a vir-very naïve girl."

"Vir-very naïve girl? Oh. Not a _very_ naïve girl. I got you." Carlie said in surprise.

"And you are not the most bit concerned?"

"Do you want me to go and talk to her?"

"I don't really want to hear my daughter talk about her sex life."

"Fine, you play with our youngest daughter while I'll talk with our eldest." Carlie said walking up the stairs and into her daughter's room. "Hey munchkin."

"Has Dad told you to come and check on me?" Molly asked now reading a book for her English class.

"No, but he did tell me you are not a vir-very naïve girl anymore."

"I knew he would. How bad is he reacting to it?"

"Well, he is as white as a sheet."

"He didn't expect his little girl to have lost her virginity before she was thirty-five did he?"

"Ok, um, I have to ask this. Did you and Harry use protection?"

"Yes, we used protection and you know I am on the pill."

"Okay, at least you are being careful."

"So you are not mad?"

"No, I'm not mad, mainly because I know you are a grown girl. However if you do fall pregnant, you need to tell me as soon as you find out."

"What about Dad?"

"He might freak out for five minutes but you might as well tell him too. He is your father and he'll love you not matter what you have done."

"Ok, I promise I will tell you if I do fall pregnant. But I am not discussing how it was with you. It is bad enough I can sometimes hear you and Dad going at it."

"I beg your pardon?"

"You're not as quiet as you think."

bxbxbxbxbxb

"So have you calmed down?" Carlie asked Wendell when he finally came to bed that evening.

"A little, I was just a little stunned." Wendell answered putting on his reading glasses.

"Yeah, not as stunned as I was when she told us that we are not as quiet as we think."

"I don't know what that means."

"She can hear us when we have sex."

"Oh, right… well that isn't something we can help."

"Right, this isn't as bad as finding out that your daughter has had sex?"

"Nothing is that bad."

"But we still need to be quiet in bed though. The last time we were that loud we woke Jasmine up and we nearly scarred her for life."

"Speaking of Jas we have to go to her school tomorrow."

"Why?"

"The teacher has concerns about her. She isn't in trouble but… Jasmine has always been quiet."

"Is that it? A quiet four-year-old?"

"She said there was something about development issues and the possibility that she could be bullied."

"Why would anyone want to bully Jasmine? She wouldn't say boo to a goose or hurt a fly."

"That might be the reason. Lucy was bullied because she was like Jas: quiet, kept herself to herself."

"Well, we'll have to find out tomorrow. I don't want it to be bullying."

"Neither do I."

bxbxbxbxbxb

"So, we're here today because we need to discuss Jasmine's development." said Jasmine's kindergarten teacher Ms Pond.

"What seems to be the issue?" asked Wendell while he sat Jasmine on his lap.

"Well, you know that Jasmine is a quiet little girl. She's a delight to teach but I think her reluctance to speak to the other kids aside from Leah may set her back socially." explained Ms Pond.

"She's normally quiet at home. A lot of us expected Jas to be like her sister but clearly, she isn't." said Carlie.

"Jasmine, would you mind explaining why you do not like talking to the other children?" asked Ms Pond. Jasmine held onto her ladybug teddy and shrugged her shoulders. "It might be a confidence issue. She is a bright little girl but I feel as though she needs to have a little more encouragement so her confidence is increased. Maybe teach her how to kick a ball and try to organise play dates with the other kids."

"We could try that." said Carlie. "Would that be okay with you Jas?"

"I suppose." said Jasmine quietly behind her ladybug. Wendell smiled while nodding his head before he kissed the back of the four-year-old's head.


	41. Number One Priority

_Ouch I have lost myself again,  
Lost myself and I am nowhere to be found,  
Yeah I think that I might break,  
I've lost myself again and I feel unsafe._

_Sia - Breathe Me._

_May 2034_

Jasmine had been struck down with a cold that had lasted for about a week. She had been extremely lethargic and listless, and spent the majority of the time curled up on the couch watching television, which was extremely unusual because she didn't like television much and that was how they knew something was seriously wrong with her.

"Maybe we should take her to the hospital." Carlie said from the kitchen looking over to the couch Jasmine was lying on.

"She just needs some rest." Wendell said. "She'll be fine in a couple of days."

"You said that on Monday and then again yesterday. I just want to know what is wrong with her."

"She has a cold."

"A cold is a sniffle. This is flu or something worse."

"Mommy." Jasmine said walking into the kitchen.

"Yes Jas." Carlie answered.

"Can I go and play outside for a bit?"

"Told you." Wendell said.

"I don't know honey. You don't look too good to me."

"Please." The child pleaded.

"Ten minutes wouldn't do much harm would it?" Wendell said.

"Fine ten minutes, get some fresh air and then come back inside because it is nearly time for dinner." Carlie said.

"Ok." Jasmine said walking out and into the garden. Wendell watched her from the window as she started kicking a ball but continued the conversation with Carlie.

"So what time do you expect Molly home?" He asked.

"I don't know, around six. She went over to Harry's."

"I hope that means studying."

"She has a history project to complete so I assume she would be focusing on -"

"Oh my God." Wendell said running out to the garden and ran back in with an unconscious Jasmine in his arms. Carlie immediately ran towards the phone and dialled for an ambulance.

"Hello my daughter has just collapsed... She's four years old… I don't know, she has been sick for the last couple of days…" She saw Wendell lay Jasmine on the couch and check her pulse and her breathing.

"Wendell is she breathing?" She asked.

"No," He said, "but her pulse is rapid and she is extremely hot."

"Oh my God."

bxbxbxbxbxb

Jasmine had been diagnosed with severe pneumonia and had fallen into a coma. The paediatricians had pumped her with antibiotics and tested her temperature which came out as unusually high. The reason she fell unconscious was a collapsed lung.

They had no idea about when she would wake up. Jasmine had been hooked up to a heart monitor, ventilator and IVs that contained her medicine so the best they could do was make her comfortable. And that included her favourite toy - a ladybug teddy - and her blue pyjamas rather than the itchy hospital gown.

"Are you okay?" Carlie asked when she walked into the hospital room where Jasmine had been wrapped in the cover and an extra blanket. Wendell just stared at his daughter, his mind reliving what happened when Carlie's fallopian tube ruptured as a result of the ectopic pregnancy. Since Jasmine looked the exact double of her mother, all he could see was the ashen color on his daughter's face, her sullen eyes and limp hair. "Wendell." Carlie said taking his hand.

"I'm sorry, I just feel like this is my fault." He said not really looking at her. "If I hadn't been so cavalier then she might not be in this bed right now."

"Sweetie, Jas might have collapsed in the living room if we didn't let her go in the garden. Her lungs are extremely inflamed and infected, and I'm just as concerned that she won't be alright after this."

"I just want her to recover. I just want to hold her."

"I do too. I just want to give her a hug and tell her everything is going to be alright. The thing is I'm not sure what caused it."

"The fact she had flu and I didn't listen to you. That caused it." Wendell said tears forming in his eyes. "She going to die because of me."

Carlie gulped before she took his hands, "Wendell, Jas is going to be alright. She… She has to be." she looked towards Jasmine and then back towards Wendell. "It would have been its junior year high school by now."

"Who would?" He asked.

"The baby we lost. It would have been its junior year high school if it was just in the right place. I know it isn't entirely the same situation but… We could lose Jas like we did that baby. I still think what could have been you know. We couldn't even name it because we had no idea what sex it was. I remember what those stupid pamphlets said: naming the baby might make it easier."

"I still maintain it was a girl. Someone who would look like you. I did get them eventually."

"Well, you can at least tell you and Molls are related. Jasmine is just me all over."

"That is a good thing."

"It shows that my genes are the dominant genes with any man."

"Well, at least it shows that Jas is strong to beat this."

"You think?"

"You're her mother. And if I know anything about you then I know Jasmine will be fine. I hope."

"In my head I named that baby even though we didn't know what it was: Charlotte."

"Charlotte's good. I never considered a name. At least you did."

bxbxbxbxbxb

_Three Days Later_

Jasmine hadn't woken up yet and, despite the amount of antibiotics, she wasn't showing any signs of improvement aside from being taken off the ventilator. The family had switched around a lot about who stayed with her during the day and night just so they could get some sleep.

"Come on baby, just wake up please." Carlie whispered on her round. "Your dad is freaking out and I am as well. I know you need to rest but I cannot keep you like this forever. It would be cruel to do so even if I just want to keep you alive."

"You should go home and get some sleep." Wendell said coming into the room.

"No she needs to be with me. I'm her mom."

"I've spoken to the doctor. Jas isn't improving. She's developed an infection in her blood."

"Great." Carlie said sarcastically. "Just perfect."

"Carls, she is going to be fine."

"She has septicaemia as well as pneumonia. Jasmine is not fine." She said sharply. "I'm sorry. I just want her to to wake up."

"I'm sorry I cannot kick a ball." A voice said quietly and they turned to Jasmine sharply and saw she had woken up.

"Oh my God." Carlie said. "Jasmine do you know where you are?"

"No. I don't feel good. I hurt." Jasmine said weakly.

"I know, but we're going to get you better. We're in the hospital."

"I'm just going to get the doctor." Wendell said walking out the room before breaking down.

_"I'm sorry I cannot kick a ball."_

That stung him in the chest and he tried to compose himself. It broke his heart about how clueless Jasmine was about how ill she was and only cared that she was unable to kick a ball. She wasn't thinking of herself at that moment, she was worried that she would be a disappointment to her parents because she wouldn't be able to socialise at school.

"Mr Bray, is everything okay in there?" Jasmine's paediatrician asked when she saw Wendell.

"Jasmine… She… She's awake." Wendell choked out between the sobs.

"Ok, let me check on her." The doctor said as she walked in and Wendell composed himself before following her. "Hey, Jasmine, how do you feel?" The doctor asked feeling Jasmine's head.

"Bad." Jasmine said quietly before letting out a violent cough. Carlie grabbed the plastic bowl from the side and Jasmine coughed out something that looked like bloody mucus.

"Are you in pain?" The doctor asked and Jasmine nodded.

"Is there anything you can give her for it?" Carlie asked holding Jasmine's little hand.

"Depends on how much pain she is in. How much does it hurt Jasmine?"

"A lot." The little girl answered

"Ok, I'm just going to feel your diaphragm to check the pain." The doctor felt around the diaphragm before Jasmine let out a loud noise that sounded like ouch. "I'm sorry Jasmine. To answer your question Mrs Bray, she is in a moderate amount of pain she is in we'll have to give her some opiates to help with the pain. Also because of the sepsis we're going to do a blood transfusion and pump some more antibiotics into her."

"Ok, thank you." Carlie said kissing her daughter's head. "We're going to get you better okay Jas?"

"Okay. Why is Daddy crying?" Jasmine asked.

"I think he is just glad you're awake."

bxbxbxbxbxb

For the next few weeks Jasmine was kept in. She kept having extremely high fevers and she had difficulty breathing. The septicaemia had disappeared after a week of antibiotics and was on bed rest. She hadn't eaten at all and she didn't want to eat.

"You okay sweetheart?" Wendell asked Jasmine one afternoon. He knew what the answer would be but he had to ask.

"No." Jasmine answered weakly. "I want to go home."

"We cannot take you home, you're too ill." He saw Jasmine's bottom lip quiver and some tears welling in her green eyes. "What is it baby?" He asked quickly.

"I just don't want to stay here anymore." She said with a sob in her voice.

"I don't want you to either but unfortunately you need to be well enough." He said softly trying to comfort her. "Do you want to sit with me in the chair?"

"Yes please." She said. Wendell lifted Jasmine out of the bed and into his arms and moved over to the rocking chair next to the heart monitor. He sat with her as he rocked her slightly as Jasmine nuzzled into Wendell's chest.

"Mommy is sad, isn't she?" Jasmine said.

"She's only sad because you are sad."

"Are you sad?"

"Yeah."

"Because I am sad."

"You're only as happy as you least happy child Jas." He said kissing her forehead. "I love you Jasmine. Why don't you get some sleep?"

"I'll try." Jasmine said yawning. She soon went into sleep as Wendell continued to rock her.

The door knocked and Carlie walked in with a small smile on her face. "Jasmine can come home."

"Are you serious?" Wendell asked.

"She's well enough to go home, but she needs to be resting. The infection hasn't completely cleared but it isn't aggressive so they're giving us a medication pack."

"A medication pack?"

"Antibiotics, Motrin for when her temperature goes up suddenly and some Ibuprofen for the pain. Also she gave us some instructions for use to take care of her."

"So she could go home today?"

"Effectively yes."

bxbxbxbxbxb

"Did you kidnap her?" Molly asked when she saw Jasmine in Wendell's arms.

"I'm going to put Jasmine to bed." Wendell said leaving mother and daughter alone for a moment.

"No she got discharged." Carlie answered. "Sweetheart, are you alright you look as though you have been crying?"

"I'm… I'm fine Mom, I'm just going to see Jas."

"Okay go on." Carlie said letting her daughter pass and Molly went up the stairs towards Jasmine's room where Jasmine was being tucked in.

"Is she okay?" Molly asked.

"I don't know we'll have to see." Wendell answered.

"Dad I need to talk to you about something."

"Ok, go on."

"I… I… I had a miscarriage."

Wendell nodded until her realised what his daughter had just told him. "You were pregnant?"

"Yeah. We were safer than safe but obviously it failed. I was six weeks but I lost it last week. I was in the middle of class when my stomach started hurting so I rushed to the hospital where they told me I was miscarrying after I explained the situation. I'm so sorry." she said with tears running down her cheeks.

"Hey hey it's okay, you did nothing wrong." Wendell said engulfing her in a hug. "Why didn't you say anything sooner?"

"Jasmine was your number one priority. I didn't think this would matter as much. She was dying and I was losing a baby."

"You matter as much to me as Jasmine. I'm sorry you had to go through this on your own. How are you feeling?"

"A little shaken up but I'm coping. The school have counsellors so I spoke to one of the about it. They were quite helpful."

"Ok, baby, I'm just glad you are alright. I just wish I could have been there for you more."

"I know but life sucks right?"

"It sure does." He said kissing the top of her head.


	42. One Night

_I will go down with this ship,  
And I won't look back and surrender.  
There will be no white flag above my door.  
I'm in love and always will be._

_Dido - White Flag_

_July 2034_

Jasmine had recovered well enough to start Kindergarten in September but she needed to get a placement at the elementary school Molly had went to. Molly and Wendell had kept the miscarriage between them, the only other person knowing being Harry since he was Molly's boyfriend and the baby's father. Carlie didn't suspect anything.

One night, it had been raining continuously and heavily. Everyone in the house was asleep, Jasmine curled up in a ball, Molly lying on her back like she always slept, and their parents asleep together, Carlie with her hands by her head and Wendell on his side.

Carlie snapped awake and sat up sharply, panting. She felt strong hands on her shoulders, the thumbs massaging them in concentric circles. Once she had stopped panting, she relaxed and lay back down.

"Bad dream?" Wendell asked quietly.

"Yeah." She answered.

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

"We were in that church. Only it wasn't me who got injured. It was you."

"Was it bad?"

"You had a dislocated shoulder and hips. You also had a shattered knee and a piece of wood lodged in your spleen. I was pregnant as well. I didn't lose it but it just made it more frightening."

"Hey, listen to me, we're fine, I'm okay." He said softly.

"I know. I just cannot believe that was twenty-one years ago. Seems like I was only yesterday."

"I was stupid back then."

"No you weren't. I was stupid to think I could ever let you go."

"So was I. I knew when we were at Dr B and Agent Booth's wedding, you were stunningly beautiful in that red dress. I wanted to just take you up to one of the hotel rooms but the fact I was trying to move on just stopped me."

"Trust me I wanted to do the same."

"We built a good life. When I met you I never thought I would be married with two children. I was just young and focused on school."

"So I was I but it was funny how we never said I love you and what sex felt like was making love. You and I we were making love not just goofing around."

"Well I agree. Fancy making love now?"

"Maybe." She smiled placing her hand on his bare chest. A clash of thunder was heard and they heard the scrambling of tiny feet running towards their room. Jasmine went under the covers of her parent's bed and crawled up between them.

"Hey Jas. It's okay." Carlie said immediately hugging her frightened daughter. Another clash of thunder and Jasmine tightened her grip on Carlie's tank top.

"I'm just going to check on Molls." Wendell said pulling a t-shirt out of the draw next to the bed and dressed himself in the shirt. He padded into Molly's violet bedroom. He saw her asleep but her fist was flexing.

"Molly." He said taking her hand. Molly woke up and sat up. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Dad, were you angry that I got pregnant?"

"I wasn't mad. Shocked but not mad. I just don't want you to have regrets. I want you to have a good life."

"I know, but I feel like I let you and Mom down because I got pregnant too young. I know Mom had Will when she was my age and I don't think she wanted a repeat performance and I don't know how she'll react if I tell her about the miscarriage."

"I think she'd understand."

"How do you know?"

"Because before you were born, your mom had a miscarriage. Well, technically ectopic pregnancies are not miscarriages but it still hurt."

"What's an ectopic pregnancy?"

"It's when the baby develops outside the womb. In your mom's case it was the tube and it ruptured and we lost the baby as a result. We were both gutted but we had you not long after. Things got better after you were conceived."

"Oh my God. So things were okay fertility wise after?"

"We had you didn't we?"


	43. What I Call My Family

_White lips, pale face,  
Breathing in snowflakes,  
Burnt lungs, sour taste.  
Light's gone, day's end,  
Struggling to pay rent,  
Long nights, strange men._

_Ed Sheeran - The A Team_

_August 2034_

"Mom, can I talk to you about something?" Molly asked one hot afternoon.

"Um, sure, what is it?" Carlie asked sitting at the table.

"A couple of months ago, when Jas was in hospital, I found out that I was pregnant. I lost it not half an hour after finding out."

"Oh my God, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I feel better. I didn't want to tell you because Jasmine was ill and I didn't want you to stress you out further. Plus I didn't know how you would react."

"Hey, I wouldn't have been happy that you got pregnant so young but I would never be angry at you for losing the baby. I know how that feels like and it isn't nice."

"How did you feel when you lost yours?"

"Like the world just got turned upside down. I was in so much pain, I couldn't think. I was worried that I would never be able to have a baby after that. I did, two in fact. I still think about what could have been."

"But would I have existed if you didn't lose it?"

"Logically no. That baby we lost would have been born about a month before you were conceived. It isn't recommended that you have a baby straight after the other."

"So… What does that mean?"

"I wouldn't change my life. Not for the world. But you sometimes have to wonder what if."

"But I am not a consolation?"

"No, of course not. You wouldn't believe how happy your father and I were when we found I was pregnant with you. You made things better for us. You brought us closer."

"So babies bring people closer?"

"They can but not always. And I wouldn't recommend having a baby now."

"It worked for you."

"Well, that was because I picked myself up for four years until I met your father and he raised Will as his own. Being a pregnant teenager is being a social pariah, everyone treats you differently because it makes it obvious that you have had sex and they judge you."

"I don't want to be like that. So I still get pregnant even though we were safer than safe."

"Well, yeah. Sounds strange but protection isn't one hundred percent."

"I'll try to be more careful."

"I know you will."

bxbxbxbxbxb

Wendell was examining some human remains while observing one of the new interns. He understood how they must have been feeling having been one himself.

"Wow, what I give to have a piece of that." The intern said looking over Wendell's shoulder. Wendell turned around and saw the woman who the intern was looking at.

"That's my wife." Wendell said.

"Oh, right." The intern said blushing. "She's hot though."

"I know, but you keep your hands off."

"So, do you have kids?"

"Three: a boy and two girls."

"Must be a handful in your house."

"Not so much, my son is in the army and my eldest daughter is a teenager and Jasmine is the quietest five-year-old you'll ever meet."

"Daddy!" Jasmine shouted running up towards Wendell with a happy smile on her face. Wendell put the bone he was examining down allowing Jasmine to jump into his arms.

"Hey, petal." Wendell said. "Why are you here?"

"She wanted to see you." Molly said walking up the platform.

"Wow, this is a family." The intern said.

"Yeah, this is what I call my family." Wendell replied.


	44. We'll be Fine

**Okay, just one more bit.**

_Save some face, you know you've only got one  
Change your ways while you're young  
Boy, one day you'll be a man  
Oh girl, he'll help you understand._

_The Killers - Smile Like You Mean It_

_September 2034_

Jasmine was going to school which, after the rough year she had, she was excited for. On the first day she jumped out of bed and bounced on her parents' bed effectively waking them up.

"Jasmine, its six in the morning." Wendell said groggily.

"But it's my first day at school." Jasmine said happily, clearly not bothered by the time.

"We know sweetheart, but we don't have to get up for another hour and a half." Carlie said.

"Ok." Jasmine said lying in between them.

"I meant go back to your own bed Jas." Carlie said.

"I'm fine here." Jasmine said.

"I'm not fighting her." Wendell mumbled.

"Fine, but just this once." Carlie said going back to sleep. Only half an hour later they heard the sounds of cartoons blasting from the living room.

"Is this going to be every morning?" Wendell asked getting up.

"No, she's just excited. She's the only five-year-old I know who gets excited about school." his wife answered also getting up.

They walked downstairs and found Jasmine on the couch, her green eyes fixed on the television.

"I watched this show as a kid." Wendell whispered.

"Well, we won't be getting much sleep now so we might as well watch it with her." Carlie whispered also, sitting next to Jasmine. Jasmine let out a loud, long cough. Carlie felt her head and it felt warm under her palm. "Jas, are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine Mommy." Jasmine answered.

"Are you sure because I don't want you being ill again?" Wendell said.

"She wouldn't be up at six in the morning if she wasn't" Carlie shrugged.

"Well, at least the school is aware of her health issues."

"Yeah, but she'll be fine in the future."

"What about us, do you think we'll be fine?"

"Of course."

The End


End file.
